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US5854039A Expired / Lapsed US ⏱️ 0.0 years remaining

Transformation of pichia methanolica

Assignee: Zymogenetics Inc
•
Filing: 1997-07-14
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Granted: 1998-12-29
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Expires: 2017-07-14
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Abstract

Abstract Methods for transforming Pichia methanolica, and DNA molecules useful in transformation of P. methanolica, are disclosed. P. methanolica cells are exposed, in the presence of DNA molecules, to a pulsed electric field having a field strength of from 2.5 to 4.5 kV/cm and a pulse duration of from 1 to 40 milliseconds, whereby the DNA molecules are introduced into the cells. The DNA molecules may comprise an expression unit that includes a transcription promoter of a P. methanolica gene operably linked to a segment encoding a polypeptide or protein of interest. The DNA molecules may also encode a selectable marker, such as a P. methanolica ADE2 gene. Cells transformed according to the invention may be used in production systems for the preparation of proteins of commercial importance.

Inventors

  • 👤 Christopher K. Raymond
  • 👤 Susan D. Holderman
  • 👤 Erica Vanaja

Bibliographic Details

Application Number —
Jurisdiction US
Data Source google_patents
Last Synchronized 2026-11-09 22:13
CPC Classifications
C; C12; C12N; C12N9/00; C12N9/14; C12N9/48; C12N9/50; C12N9/58; C12N9/60; C12N15/00; C12N15/09; C12N15/63; C12N15/79; C12N15/80; C12N15/81; C12N15/815; C12N15/87; C12N9/88

Claims Analysis

Total Claims: 22
Claim 1
Independent Claim 63 words
A method for introducing DNA into a Pichia methanolica (P. methanolica) cell, comprising exposing said Pichia methanolica cell, in the presence of a linear DNA molecule, to an exponentially decaying, pulsed electric field having a field strength of from 2.5 to 4.5 kV/cm and a time constant of from 15 to 40 milliseconds, whereby said linear DNA molecule is introduced into said cell.
Claim 2
Independent Claim 63 words
A method for introducing DNA into a Pichia methanolica (P. methanolica) cell, comprising exposing said Pichia methanolica cell, in the presence of a linear DNA molecule, to an exponentially decaying, pulsed electric field having a field strength of from 2.5 to 4.5 kV/cm and a time constant of from 15 to 40 milliseconds, whereby said linear DNA molecule is introduced into said cell.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim 40 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said linear DNA molecule comprises a DNA sequence encoding a polypeptide, other than a P. methanolica polypeptide, operably linked to a P. methanolica gene transcription promoter and a P. methanolica gene transcription terminator.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method according to claim 2 wherein said transcription promoter is a P. methanolica AUG1 gene promoter.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim 28 words
The method according to claim 3 wherein said AUG1 gene promoter comprises a sequence of nucleotides as shown in SEQ ID NO:2 from nucleotide 24 to nucleotide 1354.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method according to claim 2 wherein said linear DNA molecule further comprises a selectable marker gene that complements a mutation in said cell.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method according to claim 5 wherein said selectable marker gene is a P. methanolica gene.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method according to claim 5 wherein said marker gene is a P. methanolica ADE2 gene.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method according to claim 7 wherein said ADE2 gene comprises a sequence of nucleotides as shown in SEQ ID NO:1 from nucleotide 407 to nucleotide 2851.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim 23 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said linear DNA molecule comprises a selectable marker gene that complements a mutation in said cell.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim 15 words
The method according to claim 9 wherein said marker gene is a P. methanolica gene.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method according to claim 9 wherein said marker gene is a P. methanolica ADE2 gene.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim 27 words
The method according to claim 11 wherein said ADE2 gene comprises a sequence of nucleotides as shown in SEQ ID NO:1 from nucleotide 407 to nucleotide 2851.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method according to claim 1 wherein said time constant is from 15 to 25 milliseconds.
Claim 15
Independent Claim 78 words
A method for transforming P. methanolica cells with heterologous DNA, comprising exposing a population of said P. methanolica cells, in the presence of heterologous linear DNA molecules, to an exponentially decaying, pulsed electric field having a field strength of from 2.5 to 4.5 kV/cm and a time constant of from 15 to 40 milliseconds, whereby said heterologous DNA is introduced into at least a portion of said population, and recovering cells into which said DNA has been introduced.
Claim 16
Independent Claim 78 words
A method for transforming P. methanolica cells with heterologous DNA, comprising exposing a population of said P. methanolica cells, in the presence of heterologous linear DNA molecules, to an exponentially decaying, pulsed electric field having a field strength of from 2.5 to 4.5 kV/cm and a time constant of from 15 to 40 milliseconds, whereby said heterologous DNA is introduced into at least a portion of said population, and recovering cells into which said DNA has been introduced.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method according to claim 14 wherein from 10 3 to 10 5 cells are recovered per microgram of said heterologous linear DNA molecules.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim 24 words
The method according to claim 15 wherein from 0.9×10 4 to 1.1×10 4 cells are recovered per microgram of said heterologous linear DNA molecules.
Claim 19
Dependent Claim 18 words
The method according to claim 14 further comprising the step of recovering integrative transformants from said recovered cells.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim 25 words
The method according to claim 17 wherein said recovering step comprises culturing said recovered cells in a growth medium comprising sorbitol as a carbon source.
Claim 21
Dependent Claim 17 words
The method according to claim 14 wherein said population of cells is in early log phase growth.
Claim 22
Dependent Claim 16 words
The method according to claim 14 wherein said time constant is from 15 to 25 milliseconds.

References Cited (Backward Citations)

US4879231A Cited
US5304486A Cited
US4910140A Cited
US5716808A Cited

USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows

Annuity Stage Window Opens Payment Deadline Surcharge Period Until Estimated Fee Status
3.5 Years (Year 4) 2001-12-28 2002-06-29 2002-12-29 $2000.00 Window Closed / Lapsed
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