DoD FUNDS R&D FOR A:MUTATION IMPROVES A PHYTASE

摘要

Most phosphorus in cereal grains is stored as phytate(myo-inositol hexophosphate), which nonruminant livestock,such as swine and poultry as well as humans cannot digest.Phytases, a specific group of monoester phosphataseenzymes, can initiate the release of phosphorus from phytate.Adding a phytase to animal feeds eliminates the need tosupplement the feeds with inorganic phosphoruscompounds. Cornell University's Xingen Lei has anongoing research program to improve phytases and ways toproduce them (IB 4/28/06). He has just been awarded USPatent 7,300,781 covering an improved phytase he hasconstructed by site-directed mutagenesis of Escherichiacoli phytase. It is assigned to Cornell Research FoundationInc. (Ithaca, NY).