Production of polyketides in plants

Abstract

The present invention provides genetically altered plants and plant cells that have been modified to contain expression system(s) capable of expressing a functional polyketide synthase (PKS). The present invention further provides methods of producing PKS and polyketides using these plants and cells.

1 . Plant cells, plant parts or plants modified to contain at least one expression system effective to produce at least a minimal aromatic polyketide synthase (PKS), wherein said minimal aromatic PKS comprises a ketosynthase/acyl transferase (KS/AT) catalytic region, a chain-length factor (CLF) catalytic region and an acyl carrier protein (ACP) activity.  
     
     
         2 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 1  which have further been modified to contain at least one expression system effective to produce a holo-ACP synthase.  
     
     
         3 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 2  wherein the expression system for PKS and the expression system for holo-ACP synthase are on separate vectors.  
     
     
         4 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 2  wherein the expression system for PKS and the expression system for holo-ACP synthase are on the same vector.  
     
     
         5 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 2  wherein the expression system for PKS and the expression system for holo-ACP synthase comprise an expression system for a fusion protein comprising said PKS and said holo-ACP synthase.  
     
     
         6 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 1 , wherein said KS/AT encoding nucleotide sequence, CLF encoding nucleotide sequence, and ACP encoding nucleotide sequence are derived from the same aromatic polyketide synthase (PKS).  
     
     
         7 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said KS/AT encoding nucleotide sequence, CLF encoding nucleotide sequence, and ACP encoding nucleotide sequence is derived from a different aromatic polyketide synthase (PKS).  
     
     
         8 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 1  which further contain an expression system for a cell-based detection system for a polyketide.  
     
     
         9 . A plant cell, plant part or plant of  claim 2  which further contains an expression system for a cell-based detection system for a polyketide.  
     
     
         10 . A plant cell, plant part or plant modified to contain at least one expression system effective to produce at least a minimal modular polyketide synthase (PKS), wherein said minimal PKS comprises a KS catalytic region, an AT catalytic region, and an ACP activity.  
     
     
         11 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 10  which have further been modified to contain at least one expression system effective to produce a holo-ACP synthase.  
     
     
         12 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 11  wherein the expression system for PKS and the expression system for holo-ACP synthase are on separate vectors.  
     
     
         13 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 11  wherein the expression system for PKS and the expression system for holo-ACP synthase are on the same vector.  
     
     
         14 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 11  wherein the expression system for PKS and the expression system for holo-ACP synthase comprise an expression system for a fusion protein comprising said PKS and said holo-ACP synthase.  
     
     
         15 . The plant cell, plant part or plant of  claim 10 , wherein said modules of a PKS are derived from different polyketide synthases.  
     
     
         16 . The plant cell, plant part or plant of  claim 10 , wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding at least one module further contains a nucleotide sequence encoding a KR activity; or 
 wherein the nucleotide sequence encoding at least one module encodes a KR and DH activity; or    wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding at least one module encodes a KR, DH and ER activity; and/or    wherein said nucleotide sequence encoding at least one module encodes a thioesterase (TE) activity.    
     
     
         17 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 10  which further contain an expression system for a cell-based detection system for a polyketide.  
     
     
         18 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 11  which further contain an expression system for a cell-based detection system for a polyketide.  
     
     
         19 . Plant cells, plant parts or plants modified to contain at least one expression system effective to produce at least a minimal fungal polyketide synthase (PKS) wherein said minimal PKS comprises a ketosynthase/acyl transferase (KS/AT) catalytica region, and an acyl carrier protein (ACP) activity.  
     
     
         20 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 19  which have further been modified to contain at least one expression system effective to produce a holo-ACP synthase.  
     
     
         21 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 20  wherein the expression system for PKS and the expression system for holo-ACP synthase are on separate vectors.  
     
     
         22 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 20  wherein the expression system for PKS and the expression system for holo-ACP synthase are on the same vector.  
     
     
         23 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 20  wherein the expression system for PKS and the expression system for holo-ACP synthase comprise an expression system for a fusion protein comprising said PKS and said holo-ACP synthase.  
     
     
         24 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 19 , wherein said KS/AT encoding nucleotide sequence, and ACP encoding nucleotide sequence are derived from the same fungal polyketide synthase.  
     
     
         25 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 19  wherein the KS/AT encoding nucleotide sequence, and the ACP encoding nucleotide sequence are derived from different fungal polyketide synthases.  
     
     
         26 . The plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 19  which further contain an expression system for a cell-based detection system for a polyketide.  
     
     
         27 . A plant cell, plant part or plant of  claim 20  which further contains an expression system for a cell-based detection system for a polyketide.  
     
     
         28 . A method to produce a functional polyketide synthase which method comprises culturing the plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 2  under conditions wherein said functional PKS is produced.  
     
     
         29 . A method to produce a functional polyketide synthase which method comprises culturing the plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 11  under conditions wherein said functional PKS is produced.  
     
     
         30 . A method to produce a functional polyketide synthase which method comprises culturing the plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 20  under conditions wherein said functional PKS is produced.  
     
     
         31 . A method to produce a polyketide which method comprises culturing the plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 2  under conditions wherein said polyketide is produced.  
     
     
         32 . A method to produce a polyketide which method comprises culturing the plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 11  under conditions wherein said polyketide is produced.  
     
     
         33 . A method to produce a polyketide which method comprises culturing the plant cells, plant parts or plants of  claim 20  under conditions wherein said polyketide is produced.