IDENTIFICATION OF 3-KETOSTEROID 9-ALFA-HYDROXYLASE GENES AND MICROORGANISMS BLOCKED IN 3-KETOSTEROID 9-ALFA-HYDROXYLASE ACTIVITY

摘要

The invention relates to an isolated polynucleotide sequence comprising a nucleic acid sequence encoding the amino acid sequence of KshA protein or of KshB protein, encoded by nucleotides 499-1695 of SEQ ID NO: 1 or by nucleotides 387-1427 of SEQ ID NO:2, respectively, and functional homologues thereof. The polynucleotides of the invention can be used to construct genetically modified microorganisms blocked in 3-ketosteroid 9alpha-hydroxylase activity, which are useful in the microbial degradation of steroids to accumulate certain steroid products.