Aromatic amino acid-producing microorganisms

Claim 2

A substantially isolated intact microbial gene that specifies the biosynthesis of a 3-deoxy-2-keto-D-arabinoheptulosonic acid-7-phosphate (DAHP) synthetase, which is resistant to feedback inhibition by aromatic amino acids.

Claim 3

The microbial gene of claim 1, comprising the following deoxyribonucleotide sequence: .

Claim 4

wherein, the 5' to 3' strand, beginning with the amine terminus and the amino acids for which each triplet codes are shown, and wherein within each triplet, A is deoxyadenyl T is thymidyl G is deoxyguanyl C is' deoxycytosyl . X is A, T, C or G Y is T or C When Y is C, Z is A or G H is A, T or C Q is T or A When Q is T, R is C and S is A, T, C or G When Q is A, R is G and S is T or C M is A or G L is A or C When L is A, N is A or G When L is C, N is A, T, C or G. Gly is glycine Ala is alanine Val is valine Leu is leucine Ile is isoleucine Ser is serine Thr is threonine Phe is phenylalanine Tyr is tyrosine Trp is tryptophan Cys is cysteine Met is methionine Asp is aspartic acid Glu is gluatmic acid Lys is lysine ARg is arginine His is histidine Pro is proline Gln is glutamine Asn is asparagine

Claim 5

wherein, the 5' to 3' strand, beginning with the amine terminus and the amino acids for which each triplet codes are shown, and wherein within each triplet, A is deoxyadenyl T is thymidyl G is deoxyguanyl C is' deoxycytosyl . X is A, T, C or G Y is T or C When Y is C, Z is A or G H is A, T or C Q is T or A When Q is T, R is C and S is A, T, C or G When Q is A, R is G and S is T or C M is A or G L is A or C When L is A, N is A or G When L is C, N is A, T, C or G. Gly is glycine Ala is alanine Val is valine Leu is leucine Ile is isoleucine Ser is serine Thr is threonine Phe is phenylalanine Tyr is tyrosine Trp is tryptophan Cys is cysteine Met is methionine Asp is aspartic acid Glu is gluatmic acid Lys is lysine ARg is arginine His is histidine Pro is proline Gln is glutamine Asn is asparagine

Claim 6

The microbial gene of claim 1, comprising the following deoxyribonucleotide sequence:

Claim 7

The gene of claim 1, wherein the gene is a feedback resistant aroG, aroF or aroH gene of bacterial origin.

Claim 8

A plasmid capable of replication in a bacterial cell, comprising the gene of claims 1, 2, 3 or 4.

Claim 9

The plasmid of claim S, comprising the bacterial plasmid pMF-3 or pBR322.

Claim 10

A microorganism transformed with the plasmid of claim 5, having the ability to maintain and replicate said plasmid.

Claim 11

The microorganism of claim 7, wherein said plasmid includes signals recognizable by said microorganism which control the expression of the feedback resistant - DAHP synthetase gene, whereby said microorganism has the ability to produce DAHP synthetase which is active in the presence of normally inhibiting amounts of aromatic amino acids.

Claim 14

The method of claim 9 wherein the DNA segment to be cloned contains a feedback resistant DAHP synthetase gene.

Claim 15

A method of producing an aromatic amino acid comprising culturing a microorganism as claimed in claim 8 and recovering said amino acid.