Described are non-toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains and spores. Also described are vaccines comprising the Clostridium difficile spores. Further described are methods of preventing or treating a Clostridium difficile infection in a subject in need thereof.

An isolated glycosyltransferase (GT) polypeptide capable of: (I): conjugating glucose to flavokermesic acid (FK); and/or (II): conjugating glucose to kermesic acid (KA) and use of this GT to e.g. make Carminic acid.

The present invention relates to a recombinant host comprising a recombinant nucleic acid sequence encoding a polypeptide having at least about: a. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1; b. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 3; c. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 6; d. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 9; e. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 11; f. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 14; g. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 17; h. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 20; i. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 22; or j. 85% identity to the amino acid sequence set forth in SEQ ID NO: 25.

The invention relates to microbial host cells engineered to produce glycoconjugate vaccines by stable integration of an acceptor protein and an oligosaccharyltransferase into the host's genome, wherein expression of the oligosaccharyltransferase is regulated.

The present invention discloses a mutant of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase and belongs to the fields of gene engineering and enzyme engineering. According to the present invention, a mutant having higher disproportionation activity of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase is obtained by mutating the cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase. The disproportionation activity of enzymes of mutants V6D, S90G, T168A, T171A, T383A, G608A and V6D/S90G/T168A/T171A/T383A/G608A is respectively 1.89 times, 1.21 times, 1.21 times, 1.22 times, 1.32 times, 2.03 times and 3.16 times that of the wild enzyme in shake flask fermentations. The present invention has certain significance for the industrial production of cyclodextrin glycosyltransferase, and improves the application potential of the enzyme in food, medicine and chemical industries.

Described are non-toxigenic Clostridium difficile strains and spores. Also described are vaccines comprising the Clostridium difficile spores. Further described are methods of preventing or treating a Clostridium difficile infection in a subject in need thereof.

The invention relates to recombinant microorganisms and methods for producing mogroside compounds and mogroside precursors.

The invention relates to methods for producing mogrosides with the aid of enzymes. In particular the invention proposes various biosynthetic pathways useful for mogroside production and enzymes useful for mogroside production are provided. Furthermore, the invention provides recombinant hosts useful in performing the methods of the invention.

Methods of preparing highly purified steviol glycosides, particularly rebaudiosides M, D, E and I are described. The methods include utilizing enzyme preparations and recombinant microorganisms for converting various staring compositions to target steviol glycosides. The highly purified rebaudiosides are useful as non-caloric sweetener in edible and chewable compositions such as any beverages, confectioneries, bakery products, cookies, and chewing gums.

Disclosed is a steviol glycoside referred to as rebaudioside D2. Rebaudioside D2 has five -D-glucosyl units connected to the aglycone steviol. Also disclosed are methods for producing rebaudioside D2, a UDP-glycosyltransferase fusion enzyme, and methods for producing rebaudioside D and rebaudioside E.