The present invention describes an approach to produce taurine or increase hypotaurine or taurine production in prokaryotes or eukaryotes. More particularly, the invention relates to genetic transformation of organisms with algal, microalgal or fungal genes that encode proteins that pool catalyze the conversion of sulfur-containing compounds such as sulfate or cysteine to taurine. The invention describes methods for the use of polynucleotides for cysteine dioxygenase-like (CDOL), sulfmoalanine decarboxylase-like (SADL), cysteine sulfate/decarboxylase or a portion of the cysteine synthetase/PLP decarboxylase (partCS/PLP-DC) polypeptide in bacteria, alga, yeast, or plants to produce taurine or increase hypotaurine or taurine. The preferred embodiment of the invention is in plants but other organisms may be used. Taurine production or increased levels of hypoataurine or taurine in plants could be used as nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or therapeutic compounds or as a supplement in animal feed or for animal feed or as an enhancer for plant growth or yield

The present invention describes an approach to produce or increase hypotaurine or taurine production in unicellular organisms. More particularly, the invention relates to genetic modification of unicellular organisms that include bacteria, algal, microalgal, diatoms, yeast, or fungi. The invention relates to methods to increase taurine levels in the cells by binding taurine or decreasing taurine degradation. The invention can be used in organisms that contain native or heterologous (transgenic) taurine biosynthetic pathways or cells that have taurine by enrichment. The invention also relates to methods to increase taurine levels in the cells and to use the said cells or extracts or purifications from the cells that contain the invention to produce plant growth enhancers, food, animal feed, aquafeed, food or drink supplements, animal-feed supplements, dietary supplements, health supplements or taurine.

The present invention describes an approach to increase taurine or hypotaurine production in prokaryotes. More particularly, the invention relates to genetic transformation of organisms with genes that encode proteins that catalyze the conversion of cysteine to taurine, methionine to taurine, cysteamine to taurine, or alanine to taurine. The invention describes methods for the use of polynucleotides that encode cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) and sulfinoalanine decarboxylase (SAD) polypeptides in prokaryotes to increase taurine, hypotaurine or taurine precursor production. The preferred embodiment of the invention is in plants but other organisms may be used. Increased taurine production in prokaryotes could be used as nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or therapeutic compounds or as a supplement in animal feed.

The present invention describes an approach to increase taurine or hypotaurine production in prokaryotes. More particularly, the invention relates to genetic transformation of organisms with genes that encode proteins that catalyze the conversion of cysteine to taurine, methionine to taurine, cysteamine to taurine, or alanine to taurine. The invention describes methods for the use of polynucleotides that encode cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) and sulfinoalanine decarboxylase (SAD) polypeptides in prokaryotes to increase taurine, hypotaurine or taurine precursor production. The preferred embodiment of the invention is in plants but other organisms may be used. Increased taurine production in prokaryotes could be used as nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or therapeutic compounds or as a supplement in animal feed.

The present invention describes an approach to increase taurine or hypotaurine production in prokaryotes. More particularly, the invention relates to genetic transformation of organisms with genes that encode proteins that catalyze the conversion of cysteine to taurine, methionine to taurine, cysteamine to taurine, or alanine to taurine. The invention describes methods for the use of polynucleotides that encode cysteine dioxygenase (CDO) and sulfinoalanine decarboxylase (SAD) polypeptides in prokaryotes to increase taurine, hypotaurine or taurine precursor production. The preferred embodiment of the invention is in plants but other organisms may be used. Increased taurine production in prokaryotes could be used as nutraceutical, pharmaceutical, or therapeutic compounds or as a supplement in animal feed.