Disclosed are new nucleic acid base-editing systems comprising fusion proteins comprising a) an RNA-programmable nucleic acid recognition module or other suitable nucleic acid recognition module, b) a light inducible reactive oxygen generator. Further disclosed are methods and kits to modify or mutagenize a target DNA region in prokaryotic or eukaryotic cells or organisms.

The present invention is directed to a method of producing a Streptococcus thermophilus strain comprising the steps of a) Providing a mother strain in the form of Streptococcus thermophilus DSM32502, b) Growing a culture of the mother strain in the presence of a bacteriophage, to which the mother strain is not resistant, to obtain a number of mutant strains, which are resistant to the said bacteriophage, c) Measuring the acidification time of the bacteriophage-resistant mutant strains and the mother strain in a milk base and selecting at least one mutant strain with a reduced acidification time as compared to the mother strain to obtain a fast-acidifying mutant strain.

The present invention is directed to a method of producing a Streptococcus thermophilus strain comprising the steps of a) Providing a mother strain in the form of Streptococcus thermophilus DSM32502, b) Growing a culture of the mother strain in the presence of a bacteriophage, to which the mother strain is not resistant, to obtain a number of mutant strains, which are resistant to the said bacteriophage, c) Measuring the acidification time of the bacteriophage-resistant mutant strains and the mother strain in a milk base and selecting at least one mutant strain with a reduced acidification time as compared to the mother strain to obtain a fast-acidifying mutant strain.

The present invention provides a method of increasing nisin production in nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis by inactivating the phage infection protein Pip. The invention also provides nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis in which the phage infection protein is inactivated. The nisin-producing Lactococcus lactis can be used in starter culture for manufacturing food products or other industrial applications.

The present invention relates a plant which may comprise a modified F5H gene homolog, wherein said gene homolog may comprise a modification as compared to its corresponding wild type F5H gene homolog, wherein the presence of the modified F5H gene homolog in the plant leads to a reduction of wound-induced surface discoloration in comparison to a plant not comprising the modified F5H gene homolog. The invention also relates to a modified F5H gene homolog that leads to the reduced wound-induced surface discoloration. The invention further relates to use of the gene in breeding and producing plants that show reduced wound-induced surface discoloration.

The present invention relates a plant which may comprise a modified F5H gene homolog, wherein said gene homolog may comprise a modification as compared to its corresponding wild type F5H gene homolog, wherein the presence of the modified F5H gene homolog in the plant leads to a reduction of wound-induced surface discoloration in comparison to a plant not comprising the modified F5H gene homolog. The invention also relates to a modified F5H gene homolog that leads to the reduced wound-induced surface discoloration. The invention further relates to use of the gene in breeding and producing plants that show reduced wound-induced surface discoloration.

Provided is a yeast strain capable of excessively synthesizing cAMP and its construction method and fermentation technique thereof, and application in the field of medicine, animal husbandry, food or chemical industry. The yeast strain includes first and second gene modifications, wherein the first gene includes protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunit encoding genes TPK1, TPK2 and TPK3, by modifying the first gene, the activity or expression of PKA is completely inhibited, so that feedback inhibition to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is eliminated, but at the same time, the growth of the yeast is inhibited; and the second gene modification eliminates growth inhibition caused by the first gene modification, so that the yeast grows normally, and the cAMP yield by the yeast is increased, wherein the increase of the cAMP yield is relative to the cAMP yield by an unmodified yeast. The yeast strain further includes third and/or fourth gene modifications. The recombinant yeast strain of the present invention can stably, continuously and efficiently produce extracellular cAMP by up to 9721.6 μmol/L.

Provided is a yeast strain capable of excessively synthesizing cAMP and its construction method and fermentation technique thereof, and application in the field of medicine, animal husbandry, food or chemical industry. The yeast strain includes first and second gene modifications, wherein the first gene includes protein kinase A (PKA) catalytic subunit encoding genes TPK1, TPK2 and TPK3, by modifying the first gene, the activity or expression of PKA is completely inhibited, so that feedback inhibition to cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) is eliminated, but at the same time, the growth of the yeast is inhibited; and the second gene modification eliminates growth inhibition caused by the first gene modification, so that the yeast grows normally, and the cAMP yield by the yeast is increased, wherein the increase of the cAMP yield is relative to the cAMP yield by an unmodified yeast. The yeast strain further includes third and/or fourth gene modifications. The recombinant yeast strain of the present invention can stably, continuously and efficiently produce extracellular cAMP by up to 9721.6 μmol/L.

A method of generating a variant cyanobacterium (e.g., Synechococcus elongatus, in particular S. elongatus sp. PCC11801) for photoautotrophic production of an amino acid (e.g., L-phenylalanine); the variant so produced; a method of extending growth of a culture of a variant cyanobacterium and its photoautotrophic production of an amino acid; and a method of photo-autotrophically producing L-phenylalanine.

A method of generating a variant cyanobacterium (e.g., Synechococcus elongatus, in particular S. elongatus sp. PCC11801) for photoautotrophic production of an amino acid (e.g., L-phenylalanine); the variant so produced; a method of extending growth of a culture of a variant cyanobacterium and its photoautotrophic production of an amino acid; and a method of photo-autotrophically producing L-phenylalanine.