Recombinant components and compositions for use in food products

1. A method for producing a food product comprising a recombinant component, the method comprising:

providing a recombinant microbial host cell genetically modified to:

i) decrease or eliminate expression of a gene encoding a cutinase as compared to expression of the gene in an identical unmodified microbial host cell wherein the decreased or eliminated expression is due to a genetic modification in the gene encoding the cutinase, and wherein the cutinase is capable of esterase-catalyzed release of free fatty acids in a food product, and

ii) produce the recombinant component, wherein the genetic modification to produce the recombinant component increases production of the recombinant component as compared to production of the recombinant component in an identical unmodified microbial host cell;

allowing the recombinant microbial host cell to produce the recombinant component, and optionally purifying the recombinant component, wherein the recombinant component is suitable for incorporation into a food product; and

incorporating the recombinant component into a food product comprising at least one of a diglyceride, a triglyceride, a phospholipid, and a lipoprotein.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the cutinase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 87, 147, 153, 159, 165, 171, and 177.

3. The method of claim 2 , wherein the microbial host cell is further genetically modified to decrease or eliminate expression of a gene encoding a hydrolase as compared to expression of the gene in an identical unmodified host cell wherein the decreased or eliminated expression is due to a genetic modification in the gene encoding the hydrolase and wherein the hydrolase is a hydrolase other than cutinase.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein the hydrolase is a carboxylic ester hydrolase.

5. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 8, 44, 73, 75, and 97.

6. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 44.

7. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 75.

8. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 8.

9. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 73.

10. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 97.

11. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises a triacylglycerol lipase.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the triacylglycerol lipase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 8, 79, and 97.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the triacylglycerol lipase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 79.

14. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises a phospholipase A2.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the phospholipase A2 comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to SEQ ID NO: 51.

16. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises a lysophospholipase.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the lysophospholipase comprises an amino acid sequence has at least 80% sequence identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 4, 20, 26, and 32.

18. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises a GDSL lipase.

19. The method of claim 18 , wherein the GDSL lipase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 63 and 200.

20. The method of claim 4 , wherein the carboxylic ester hydrolase comprises an additional cutinase.

21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the additional cutinase comprises an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% sequence identity to a sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NOs: 87 and 93.

22. The method of claim 1 , wherein the recombinant component is a recombinant milk protein.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the recombinant milk protein is a recombinant whey protein.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the recombinant whey protein is a recombinant β-lactoglobulin.

25. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method comprises purifying the recombinant component to obtain a preparation comprising the recombinant component and a decreased or eliminated activity of the cutinase compared to a corresponding preparation in which the recombinant component has not been purified.

26. The method of claim 25 , wherein the corresponding preparation is a powder.

27. The method of claim 1 , wherein the food product is a dairy product substitute of a dairy product selected from the group consisting of milk, yogurt, cheese, dairy spreads, cream, frozen confections, butter, and dairy powders.

28. The method of claim 1 , wherein the genetic modification is of a control sequence or functional part thereof that drives expression of the cutinase.

29. The method of claim 1 , wherein the genetic modification is of a coding sequence that encodes the cutinase or functional part thereof.

30. The method of claim 1 , wherein the genetic modification is a deletion of a control sequence or functional part thereof that drives expression of the cutinase.

31. The method of claim 1 , wherein the genetic modification is a deletion of a coding sequence that encodes the cutinase or functional part thereof.