The present invention also relates to a transformant obtained by introducing the gene of the present invention into a host.
(Hereinafter, referred to as "the transformant of the present invention")
The present invention also relates to a method of producing a lipid, containing steps of:
culturing the transformant of the present invention in a medium; and collecting a lipid from the resulting cultured product.
5 (Hereinafter, referred to as "the method of producing a lipid of the present
invention")
The present invention also relates to a method of modifying a fatty acid composition in a lipid, containing introducing the gene of the present invention into a host.
10 The present invention also relates to a method of enhancing productivity
of a lipid, containing introducing the gene of the present invention into a host. {0012}
The present invention provides a novel acyl-ACP thioesterase and an
acyl-ACP thioesterase gene encoding the same. The present invention also 15 provides a transformant having the acyl-ACP thioesterase gene. Further, the
present invention provides a method of producing a lipid using the transformant.
The transformant and the production method of the present invention have the
excellent productivity of lipids, and therefore they can be suitably used for the
industrial production of fatty acids or lipids.
20 {0013}
Other and further features and advantages of the invention will appear more fully from the following description.
MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION
25 {0014}
Hereinafter, the present invention will be explained.
In the present invention, the term "lipid(s)" covers simple lipids such as neutral lipids, wax, and ceramides; complex lipids such as phospholipids, glycolipids, and sulfolipids; and derived lipids such as fatty acids, alcohols, and hydrocarbons.
{0015}
1. Acyl-ACP thioesterase
5 The protein of the present invention includes a protein at least having an
amino acid sequence of the 115th to 274th amino acids set forth in SEQ ID NO: 1,
and a protein functionally equivalent to the protein. Specifically, the protein of
the present invention includes the following proteins (a) to (c).