The present invention is related to production of a sterol mix in a modified yeast cell, wherein the amount of zymosterol present in said mix is dramatically reduced or abolished via modification of sterol acyltransferase activity within said yeast. The modified yeast cell can be used for production of vitamin D3 or derivatives and/or metabolites thereof.

In various aspects and embodiments, the invention provides a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a 7β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (7β-HSDH) mutant that catalyzes at least the stereospecific enzymatic reduction of a 7-ketosteroid to the corresponding 7-hydroxysteroid, wherein the mutant has, compared to the wildtype 7β-HSDH of SEQ ID NO:2, a decreased substrate inhibition and/or an altered cofactor usage, and the mutant has, in comparison with the wildtype 7β-HSDH of SEQ ID NO:2, 1 to 15 amino acid additions, substitutions, deletions and/or inversions in the sequence motif VMVGRRE corresponding to positions 36 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:2.

In various aspects and embodiments, the invention provides a nucleic acid molecule comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a 7β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (7β-HSDH) mutant that catalyzes at least the stereospecific enzymatic reduction of a 7-ketosteroid to the corresponding 7-hydroxysteroid, wherein the mutant has, compared to the wildtype 7β-HSDH of SEQ ID NO:2, a decreased substrate inhibition and/or an altered cofactor usage, and the mutant has, in comparison with the wildtype 7β-HSDH of SEQ ID NO:2, 1 to 15 amino acid additions, substitutions, deletions and/or inversions in the sequence motif VMVGRRE corresponding to positions 36 to 42 of SEQ ID NO:2.

Recombinant DNA techniques are used to produce oleaginous recombinant cells that produce triglyceride oils having desired fatty acid profiles and regiospecific or stereospecific profiles. Genes manipulated include those encoding stearoyl-ACP desaturase, delta 12 fatty acid desaturase, acyl-ACP thioesterase, ketoacyl-ACP synthase, and lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase. The oil produced can have enhanced oxidative or thermal stability, or can be useful as a frying oil, shortening, roll-in shortening, tempering fat, cocoa butter replacement, as a lubricant, or as a feedstock for various chemical processes. The fatty acid profile can be enriched in midchain profiles or the oil can be enriched in triglycerides of the saturated-unsaturated-saturated type.

Recombinant DNA techniques are used to produce oleaginous recombinant cells that produce triglyceride oils having desired fatty acid profiles and regiospecific or stereospecific profiles. Genes manipulated include those encoding stearoyl-ACP desaturase, delta 12 fatty acid desaturase, acyl-ACP thioesterase, ketoacyl-ACP synthase, and lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase. The oil produced can have enhanced oxidative or thermal stability, or can be useful as a frying oil, shortening, roll-in shortening, tempering fat, cocoa butter replacement, as a lubricant, or as a feedstock for various chemical processes. The fatty acid profile can be enriched in midchain profiles or the oil can be enriched in triglycerides of the saturated-unsaturated-saturated type.

The present disclosure relates a polypeptide having UGT activity, which polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence which, when aligned with a polypeptide having UGT activity comprising the sequence set out in SEQ ID NO: 2, comprises at least one substitution of an amino acid corresponding to any of amino acids at positions 35, 189, 280, 284, 285, 334 or 373, said positions being defined with reference to SEQ ID NO: 2 and wherein the polypeptide has one or more modified properties as compared with a reference polypeptide having UGT activity. A polypeptide according to the disclosure may be used in a recombinant cell for the production of steviol or a steviol glycoside.

The present invention relates to a process for producing bile acid derivatives having a protected hydroxyl group in the 3 position comprising contacting a bile acid derivative having an unprotected 3-alpha-hydroxyl group with a specific lipase. The present invention further relates to a bile acid derivative obtained or obtainable by the process, to the use of the bile acid derivative obtained or obtainable by the process for producing lithocholic acid and also to a process for producing lithocholic acid and to lithocholic obtained by the process. The invention further relates to the use of lithocholic acid obtained or obtainable by the process for producing ursodeoxycholic acid or ursodeoxycholic acid derivatives.

The present invention relates to a process for producing bile acid derivatives having a protected hydroxyl group in the 3 position comprising contacting a bile acid derivative having an unprotected 3-alpha-hydroxyl group with a specific lipase. The present invention further relates to a bile acid derivative obtained or obtainable by the process, to the use of the bile acid derivative obtained or obtainable by the process for producing lithocholic acid and also to a process for producing lithocholic acid and to lithocholic obtained by the process. The invention further relates to the use of lithocholic acid obtained or obtainable by the process for producing ursodeoxycholic acid or ursodeoxycholic acid derivatives.

The present invention relates to a group of glycosyltransferase, and an application thereof. Specifically, provided is using glycosyltransferase GT29-32, GT29-33, GT29-34, GT29-4, GT29-5, GT29-7, GT29-9, GT29-11, GT29-13, GT29-17, GT29-18, GT29-19, GT29-20, GT29-21, GT29-22, GT29-23, GT29-24, GT29-25, GT29-36, GT29-37, GT29-42, GT29-43, GT29-45, GT29-46, PNUGT29-1, PNUGT29-2, PNUGT29-3, PNUGT29-4, PNUGT29-5, PNUGT29-6, PNUGT29-7, PNUGT29-8, PNUGT29-9, PNUGT29-14, and PNUGT29-15, as well as derived polypeptides thereof to catalyze the first glycosyl at position C-20, the first glycosyl at position C-6, and the first glycosyl at position C-3 of a tetracyclic triterpene compound substrate to elongate a carbohydrate chain, thereby obtaining a catalytic reaction of ginsenoside products such as ginsenoside Rg3, ginsenoside Rd, ginsenoside Rb1, ginsenoside Rb3, saponin DMGG, saponin DMGX, gypenoside LXXV, gypenoside XVII, gypenoside XIII, gypenoside IX, notoginsenoside U, and notoginsenoside R1, notoginsenoside R2, notoginsenoside R3, 3-O-β-(D-xylopyranosyl)-β-(D-glucopyranosyl)-PPD, 3-O-β-(D-xylopyranosyl)-β-(D-glucopyranosyl)-CK, 20-O-Glucosylginsenoside Rf, and Ginsenoside F3. Glycosyltransferase in the present invention can further be applied to construction of artificially synthesized ginsenoside, novel ginsenoside, and derivatives thereof.

Glucosyl Stevia compositions are prepared from steviol glycosides of Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. The glucosylation was performed by cyclodextrin glucanotransferase using the starch as source of glucose residues. The short-chain glucosyl Stevia compositions were purified to >95% content of total steviol glycosides. The compositions can be used as sweetness enhancers, flavor enhancers and sweeteners in foods, beverages, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.