Nucleotide sequences which code for the metE gene

Abstract

An isolated polynucleotide comprising a polynucleotide sequence selected from the group consisting of a) polynucleotide which is at least 70% identical to a polynucleotide that codes for a polypeptide which comprises the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2, b) polynucleotide which codes for a polypeptide that comprises an amino acid sequence which is at least 70% identical to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No. 2, c) polynucleotide which is complementary to the polynucleotides of a) or b), and d) polynucleotide comprising at least 15 successive nucleotides of the polynucleotide sequence of a), b) or c), and processes for the fermentative preparation of L-amino acids using coryneform bacteria in which at least the metE gene is present in enhanced form, and the use of the polynucleotide sequences as hybridization probes.

1 - 37 . (canceled)  
     
     
         38 . A process for making an animal feed or an animal feedstock additive comprising: 
 a) culturing or fermenting an L-methionine producing microorganism in a fermentation medium for a time and under conditions suitable for the production of L-methionine; and    b) drying said fermentation medium containing the L-methionine obtained according to a) to obtain the animal feedstuff or animal feedstuffs additive.    
     
     
         39 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein said animal feedstuff or animal feedstuff additive contains 1 to 80 wt. % L-methionine.  
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein said animal feedstuff or animal feedstuff additive contains 8 to 80 wt. % L-methionine.  
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the feedstuff or feedstuff additive contains up to 5 wt. % water.  
     
     
         42 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the feedstuff or feedstuff additive contains up to 2 wt. % water.  
     
     
         43 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the dried fermentation medium is produced in the form of a powder, wherein more than 50 % of the particles have a diameter of 20 to 200 μm.  
     
     
         44 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein the dried fermentation medium is produced as a coarse grained product, wherein more than 50 % of the grains have a diameter of 200 to 2000 μm.  
     
     
         45 . The process of  claim 38 , further comprising removing water from the L-amino acid-containing fermentation medium prior to drying.  
     
     
         46 . The process of  claim 38 , further comprising removing water from the fermentation medium by rotary evaporation, thin film evaporation, falling film evaporation, reverse osmosis and/or nanofiltration, prior to drying.  
     
     
         47 . The process of  claim 38 , further comprising removing at least a portion of the biomass from the fermentation medium prior to drying.  
     
     
         48 . The process of  claim 38 , further comprising removing 70-100% of the biomass from the fermentation medium prior to drying.  
     
     
         49 . The process of  claim 38 , further comprising removing 0-20% of the biomass from the fermentation medium prior to drying.  
     
     
         50 . The process of  claim 38 , further comprising adding one or more organic substances to said feedstock or feedstock additive.  
     
     
         51 . The process of  claim 38 , further comprising adding L- or D-methionine, or both, to said feedstock or feedstock additive.  
     
     
         52 . The process of  claim 38 , further comprising adding at least one auxiliary substance selected from the group consisting of silicas, silicates, stearates, grits and bran to said feedstock or feedstock additive.  
     
     
         53 . The process of  claim 38 , further comprising combining said feedstock or feedstock additive with at least one film-forming agent.  
     
     
         54 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein said feedstuff or feedstuff additive is combined with at least one film-forming agent selected from the group consisting of metal carbonates, silicas, silicates, alginates, stearates, starches, gums or cellulose ethers.  
     
     
         55 . An animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 .  
     
     
         56 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive of  claim 55 , which contains 1 to 80 wt. % L-methionine.  
     
     
         57 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive of  claim 55 , which contains 8 to 80 wt. % L-methionine.  
     
     
         58 . An animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , which comprises 1 wt. % to 80 wt. % L-methionine, D-methionine, D,L-methionine or a mixture thereof and >50 % of the other substances which are present in the fermentation broth based on the dry weight of the animal feedstuffs additive.  
     
     
         59 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38  which contains 70-100 % of the biomass produced in the fermentation medium.  
     
     
         60 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38  which contains 0-20 % of the biomass produced in the fermentation medium.  
     
     
         61 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , which has a water content of up to 5 %.  
     
     
         62 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , which is a powder.  
     
     
         63 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , which is a free flowing powder, which flows unimpeded out of a glass outflow vessel with the opening of 5 mm.  
     
     
         64 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , which is a coarse grained product, wherein more than 50 % of the particles in said product have a diameter of 200 to 2000 μm.  
     
     
         65 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , which is a coarse grained product wherein the content of particles having a diameter of less than 20 μm is less than 5 %.  
     
     
         66 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , wherein said animal feedstuff additive further contains at least one carrier substance.  
     
     
         67 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , which contains at least one carrier substance selected from the group consisting of silicas, silicates, grits, brans, meals, starches and sugars.  
     
     
         68 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , which has been combined with at least one film forming agent.  
     
     
         69 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , which has been combined with at least one film forming agent selected from the group consisting of metal carbonates, silicas, silicates, alginates, stearates, starches, gums and cellulose ethers.  
     
     
         70 . The animal feedstuff or feedstuff additive produced by the process of  claim 38 , in a form which can be stored for up to 120 days without a substantive loss (<5%) of methionine occurring.  
     
     
         71 . The process of  claim 38 , wherein a microorganism which over-expresses the metE (homocysteine methyltransferase I) gene is used.