The present invention discloses a S-adenosyl-L-methionine δ24-sterol-C-methyltransferase mutant C24MTgm-M11. Strain MG1655 (ΔptsG ΔfumAC ΔfumB, panD, aspA, C24MTgm) is constructed based on the polynucleotide encoding the enzyme mutant. Strain MG1655 (Δpts GΔfumAC ΔfumB, panD, aspA, C24MTgm-M11) can produce 480 mg/L 3-aminoisobutyric acid under shake flask fermention. Compared to the wild type strain C24MTgm, the strain containing mutant C24MTgm-M11 has a significantly improved ability to produce 5.8 times' 3-aminobutyric acid.

A composition comprising a polypeptide ligated to an oligonucleotide through a sterol linker. A method of ligating a polypeptide to an oligonucleotide, comprising a polypeptide having a hedgehog steroyl transferse catalytic domain at the C-terminal of the polypeptide with an electrophilic residue, e.g., glycine, between polypeptide and the hedgehog steroyl transferse catalytic domain, and a steroylated oligonucleotide in solution, and permitting a reaction to cleave the hedgehog steroyl transferse catalytic domain from the polypeptide while ligating the steroylated oligonucleotide to the glycine at the C-terminal of the polypeptide. The oligonucleotide may be, for example, a therapeutic, diagnostic, or affinity ligand.

A composition comprising a polypeptide ligated to an oligonucleotide through a sterol linker. A method of ligating a polypeptide to an oligonucleotide, comprising a polypeptide having a hedgehog steroyl transferse catalytic domain at the C-terminal of the polypeptide with an electrophilic residue, e.g., glycine, between polypeptide and the hedgehog steroyl transferse catalytic domain, and a steroylated oligonucleotide in solution, and permitting a reaction to cleave the hedgehog steroyl transferse catalytic domain from the polypeptide while ligating the steroylated oligonucleotide to the glycine at the C-terminal of the polypeptide. The oligonucleotide may be, for example, a therapeutic, diagnostic, or affinity ligand.

The present invention relates to a method for preparing 7-dehydrocholesterol and/or the biosynthetic intermediates and/or secondary products thereof by culturing organisms, in particular yeasts. Furthermore, the invention relates to the preparation of the nucleic acid constructs required for preparing the genetically modified organisms and to said genetically modified organisms, in particular yeasts, themselves.

The present invention encompasses vaccines or compositions comprising the chimeric KSAC protein that possesses immunogenic and protective properties, and methods of use including administering to an animal the antigenic KSAC protein thereof to protect animals. The invention also encompasses methods for making and producing the soluble, disaggregated, refolded or active proteins from inclusion bodies produced from prokaryotes or eukaryotes.

According to the present invention, there can be provided a process for producing 7-dehydrocholesterol (7DHC), comprising culturing, in a medium, a 7DHC-producing Labyrinthulea microorganism in which sterol 24-C-methyltransferase activity is reduced or lost as compared to a parent strain, allowing 7DHC to be produced and accumulated in the culture, and collecting the 7DHC from the culture; and a process for producing vitamin D3, comprising irradiating, with ultraviolet light, 7-dehydrocholesterol produced by the production process.

A composition comprising a polypeptide ligated to an oligonucleotide through a sterol linker. A method of ligating a polypeptide to an oligonucleotide, comprising a polypeptide having a hedgehog steroyl transferase catalytic domain at the C-terminal of the polypeptide with an electrophilic residue, e.g., glycine, between polypeptide and the hedgehog steroyl transferase catalytic domain, and a steroylated oligonucleotide in solution, and permitting a reaction to cleave the hedgehog steroyl transferase catalytic domain from the polypeptide while ligating the steroylated oligonucleotide to the glycine at the C-terminal of the polypeptide. The oligonucleotide may be, for example, a therapeutic, diagnostic, or affinity ligand.

A composition comprising a polypeptide ligated to an oligonucleotide through a sterol linker. A method of ligating a polypeptide to an oligonucleotide, comprising a polypeptide having a hedgehog steroyl transferse catalytic domain at the C-terminal of the polypeptide with an electrophilic residue, e.g., glycine, between polypeptide and the hedgehog steroyl transferse catalytic domain, and a steroylated oligonucleotide in solution, and permitting a reaction to cleave the hedgehog steroyl transferse catalytic domain from the polypeptide while ligating the steroylated oligonucleotide to the glycine at the C-terminal of the polypeptide. The oligonucleotide may be, for example, a therapeutic, diagnostic, or affinity ligand.

Compositions and methods for preventing, treating and detecting leishmaniasis are disclosed. The compositions generally comprise polypeptides comprising Leishmania antigens as well as polynucleotides encoding such polypeptides.

According to the present invention, there can be provided a process for producing 7-dehydrocholesterol (7DHC), comprising culturing, in a medium, a 7DHC-producing Labyrinthulea microorganism in which sterol 24-C-methyltransferase activity is reduced or lost as compared to a parent strain, allowing 7DHC to be produced and accumulated in the culture, and collecting the 7DHC from the culture; and a process for producing vitamin D3, comprising irradiating, with ultraviolet light, 7-dehydrocholesterol produced by the production process.