Genes and proteins for aromatic polyketide synthesis
View Patent ↗Nucleic acid molecules encoding polypeptides having polyketide synthase activity have been identified and characterized. Expression or over-expression of the nucleic acids alters levels of cannabinoid compounds in organisms. The polypeptides may be used in vivo or in vitro to produce cannabinoid compounds.
1. A process of synthesizing a polyketide comprising:
reacting an alkanoyl CoA with malonyl CoA in presence of a type III polyketide synthase enzyme and a polypeptide with at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 or that is a conservatively substituted amino acid sequence of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 and having polyketide cyclase activity.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the alkanoyl CoA is CoA-S—C(O)—(CH 2 ) n —CH 3 , where n is an integer from 0 to 4.
3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the alkanoyl CoA comprises hexanoyl CoA.
4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the type III polyketide synthase enzyme is polyketide synthase/olivetol synthase.
5. The process of claim 1 wherein the polyketide is olivetolic acid.
6. A process of synthesizing a naturally-occurring cannabinoid compound or a non-naturally occurring analog of a cannabinoid compound in an organism, cell or tissue comprising expressing a nucleic molecule that encodes a polypeptide with at least 95% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 2 or that is a conservatively substituted amino acid sequence of the sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 2 and having polyketide cyclase activity, in the organism, cell or tissue in the presence of a type III polyketide synthase enzyme, an alkanoyl CoA and malonyl CoA.
7. The process of claim 6 , wherein the alkanoyl CoA is CoA-S—C(O)—(CH 2 ) n —CH 3 , where n is an integer from 0 to 4.
8. The process of claim 7 , wherein the alkanoyl CoA comprises hexanoyl CoA.
9. The process of claim 6 , wherein the type III polyketide synthase enzyme is polyketide synthase/olivetol synthase.