The present invention generally relates to the microbiological industry, and specifically to the production of L-serine or L-serine derivatives using genetically modified bacteria. The present invention provides genetically modified microorganisms, such as bacteria, wherein the expression of genes encoding for enzymes involved in the degradation of L-serine is attenuated, such as by inactivation, which makes them particularly suitable for the production of L-serine at higher yield. The present invention also provides means by which the microorganism, and more particularly a bacterium, can be made tolerant towards higher concentrations of serine. The present invention also provides methods for the production of L-serine or L-serine derivative using such genetically modified microorganisms.

The present invention discloses rice serine hydroxymethyltransferase coded gene OsSHM4 mutants and application thereof. The rice serine hydroxymethyltransferase coded gene mutants are obtained in a manner that T at a 461st position of a CDS sequence region of a wild type rice OsSHM4 gene is mutated to C, so that coded amino acids thereof are mutated from leucine to proline. A CDS sequence of the wild type rice OsSHM4 gene is shown in SEQ ID NO. 1. After mutation of serine hydroxymethyltransferase coded genes OsSHM4, under a field experiment condition, S and Se content of rice shoots is remarkably improved without influencing biomass of rice. After wild type serine hydroxymethyltransferase coded genes OsSHM4 are genetically modified to complement the mutants, S and Se content of shoots of complemented strains is restored to that of wild type rice water planting.

The present invention relates to a genetically engineered microorganism expressing (i) formate tetrahydrofolate (THF) ligase, methenyi-THF cyclohydrolase and methylene-THF dehydrogenase, (ii) the enzymes of the glycine cleavage system (GCS), (iii) serine deaminase and serine hydroxymethyltransferase (SHMT), (iv) an enzyme increasing the availability of NADPH, and (v) optionally formate dehydrogenase (FDH), and wherein the genetically engineered microorganism has been genetically engineered to express at least one of the enzymes of (i) to (v), wheren said enzyme is not expressed by the corresponding microorganism that has been used to prepare the genetically engineered microorganism, and wherein the enzymes of (i) to (v) are genomically expressed.

The present invention provides a 5-methylfolate producing microorganism which a) has been modified to have a decreased expression and/or activity of a polypeptide having both dihydrofolate synthase activity and folylpolyglutamate synthetase activity compared to an otherwise identical microorganism (reference microorganism); b) has been (further) modified to express a heterologous polypeptide having only dihydrofolate synthase activity; c) has been (further) modified to have an increased expression level of at least one enzyme (such as at least two, at least three, at least four, at least five, at least six, at least seven or at least eight) enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of a 5-methylfolate compared to an otherwise identical microorganism (reference microorganism); and/or d) has been (further) modified to have a decreased expression and/or activity of a polypeptide having 5-methyltetrahydropteroyltriglutamate-homocysteine S-methyltransferase activity compared to an otherwise identical microorganism (reference microorganism).

Compositions for a phage particle are disclosed. The phage particle is non-replicating and includes at least one heterologous nucleic acid sequence that is capable of being expressed in a target bacteria. The expressed heterologous nucleic acid sequence is non-lethal to the target bacteria.

The present invention generally relates to the microbiological industry, and specifically to the production of L-serine or L-serine derivatives using genetically modified bacteria. The present invention provides genetically modified microorganisms, such as bacteria, wherein the expression of genes encoding for enzymes involved in the degradation of L-serine is attenuated, such as by inactivation, which makes them particularly suitable for the production of L-serine at higher yield. The present invention also provides means by which the microorganism, and more particularly a bacterium, can be made tolerant towards higher concentrations of serine. The present invention also provides methods for the production of L-serine or L-serine derivative using such genetically modified microorganisms.

The present invention relates to a secretagogue compound derived from oxalate degrading bacteria, for use in the treatment of an oxalate related disease and/or oxalate related imbalance in a subject, wherein the administration of the secretagogue results in a reduction of urinary oxalate and/or plasma oxalate in the subject. The invention further relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising such a secretagogue compound, a method for treating a subject suffering from an oxalate related disease, and to a method for preparing a secretagogue.

The present invention discloses rice serine hydroxymethyltransferase coded gene OsSHM4 mutants and application thereof. The rice serine hydroxymethyltransferase coded gene mutants are obtained in a manner that T at a 461st position of a CDS sequence region of a wild type rice OsSHM4 gene is mutated to C, so that coded amino acids thereof are mutated from leucine to proline. A CDS sequence of the wild type rice OsSHM4 gene is shown in SEQ ID NO. 1. After mutation of serine hydroxymethyltransferase coded genes OsSHM4, under a field experiment condition, S and Se content of rice shoots is remarkably improved without influencing biomass of rice. After wild type serine hydroxymethyltransferase coded genes OsSHM4 are genetically modified to complement the mutants, S and Se content of shoots of complemented strains is restored to that of wild type rice water planting.

The present invention relates to a secretagogue compound derived from oxalate degrading bacteria, for use in the treatment of an oxalate related disease and/or oxalate related imbalance in a subject, wherein the administration of the secretagogue results in a reduction of urinary oxalate and/or plasma oxalate in the subject. The invention further relates to a pharmaceutical composition comprising such a secretagogue compound, a method for treating a subject suffering from an oxalate related disease, and to a method for preparing a secretagogue.

The present invention generally relates to the microbiological industry, and specifically to the production of L-serine or L-serine derivatives using genetically modified bacteria. The present invention provides genetically modified microorganisms, such as bacteria, wherein the expression of genes encoding for enzymes involved in the degradation of L-serine is attenuated, such as by inactivation, which makes them particularly suitable for the production of L-serine at higher yield. The present invention also provides means by which the microorganism, and more particularly a bacterium, can be made tolerant towards higher concentrations of serine. The present invention also provides methods for the production of L-serine or L-serine derivative using such genetically modified microorganisms.