| 摘要 |
The present invention provides means and methods of transforming bacteria, fungi including yeast, animal and plant cells, seeds, tissues and whole plan ts in order to yield transformants capable of expressing a .beta.-carotene (15, 15') dioxygenase and accumulating vitamin A aldehyde. The present invention further provides means and methods to biotechnically produce retinoids using cells, tissues, organs or whole organisms which natively or after transformation accumulate .beta.-carotene or which take up .beta.-carotene from the medium. The present invention also provides DNA molecules encoding .beta.-carotene (15, 15') dixoygenases derived from different sources and taxonomic groups of living organisms designed to be suitable for carrying ou t the method of the invention, and plasmids or vector systems comprising said molecules. Furthermore, the present invention provides transgenic bacteria, fungi including yeast, animal and plant cells, seeds, tissues and whole plan ts that display an improved nutritional quality or physiological condition and contain such DNA molecules and/or that have been generated by use of the methods of the present invention. |
