Applied Microbiology Laboratory, Fermentation and Biotechnology Laboratories, Ajinomoto Co., Inc., Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki-shi 210-8681, Japan. yasuhiro_mihara@ajinomoto.com
A novel nucleoside phosphorylation process using the food additive pyrophosphate as the phosphate source was investigated. The Morganella morganii gene encoding a selective nucleoside pyrophosphate phosphotransferase was cloned. It was identical to the M. morganii PhoC acid phosphatase gene. Sequential in vitro random mutagenesis was performed on the gene by error-prone PCR to construct a mutant library. The mutant library was introduced into Escherichia coli, and the transformants were screened for the production of 5'-IMP. One mutated acid phosphatase with an increased phosphotransferase reaction yield was obtained. With E. coli overproducing the mutated acid phosphatase, 101 g of 5'-IMP per liter (192 mM) was synthesized from inosine in an 88% molar yield. This improvement was achieved with two mutations, Gly to Asp at position 92 and Ile to Thr at position 171. A decreased K(m) value for inosine was responsible for the increased productivity.