Institute of Molecular Biology of Barcelona of CSIC A Spanish Public Research Institution (IBMB-CSIC) licenses the first plant trasglutaminas patent as a biotechnological technology useful to agrofood industry. This enzyme catalyses covalent links formation between proteins to make networks, allowing food texture, firmness, elasticity, or fat and salt content modifications in the foodstuffs industry: processed fish, meat and sausage, dairy products, gelatines, etc. We look for patent licence agreements and additional developments collaborations
DESCRIPTIONOur group from a Spanish Public Research Centre sited in Barcelona (IBMB-CSIC), has identified two sequences of nucleotides codifying two proteins with transglutaminase activity from maize cDNA. These were the first plant transglutaminase cloned. Protein activity has been tested in experiments starting from extracts of the codifying proteins. Moreover, these proteins show the specific characteristics assigned to the enzyme. This enzyme catalyses the formation of covalent links between proteins to make networks of high molecular weight. The specific function of transglutaminase allows their biotechnological application in the foodstuffs industry: fish products (surimi), processed meat and sausages, chesses and yoghurt, ice creams, gelatines, chocolate etc. because food texture, firmness, elasticity, or fat and salt content can be modified.Moreover, starting from these DNA molecules and by means of appropiate vectors, new transformed cells can be obtained, (bacteria or yeast GRAS). These transformed cells can over-produce the recombinant protein with transglutaminase activity and consequently their availability to the industry.INNOVATIVE ASPECTSThe use of transglutaminase in bio alimentary processes, allows the obtention of new products in the base of a technology relatively easy to use. Moreover, it is enable to extend the range of products, without modifying technological aspects of the machinery or instruments of a well-established industrial process. On the other hand, in some manufactures of fish, meat etc. allows a best raw material utilization improving products texture and humidity. Moreover, especially in lactic derivatives it can also be useful to prepare hypocaloric productsCOMPETITIVE ADVANTAGESThis patent represent the first transglutaminase cloned in plants. Consequently it allows the preparation of a trendy technology to obtain a product with well-known foodstuffs market advantage because of actual use in the american market as a food additive of a patented product from bacteria with similar characteristics .KEYWORDSnucleotide sequence; proteins; transglutaminase; foodstuffs industry, agroofood, dairy007002001 Food additives/Ingredients007002005 Food processing006002001 Cellular and Molecular Biology006002002 Enzymiology/Protein engineering/fermentationPATENTES 200201253, applied for at 2002-05-31CONTACTEstrella Maroto email: e.maroto@orgc.csic.esphone: +34 91 585 52 51FOR MORE CSIC TECHNOLOGY OFFERS CLICK HERE
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