Enzymatic Synthesis of Human Milk Oligosaccharides
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Solution Overview
Problem
Infants and individuals with compromised gut flora lack the human milk oligosaccharides present in breast milk, which are essential for promoting the growth of beneficial bacteria like Bifidobacteria, as cow's milk and commercial formulas do not contain these oligosaccharides, leading to an imbalance in gut microbiota.
Innovation Solution
The development of nucleic acids and polypeptides that encode enzymes involved in oligosaccharide modification, which are used to synthesize human milk oligosaccharides or their mimics, allowing for their incorporation into baby formulas and milk products to promote Bifidobacteria growth in the gastrointestinal tract.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If cow's milk or commercial formulas are used to feed infants, then the infants receive adequate nutrition, but they lack human milk oligosaccharides which are essential for promoting Bifidobacteria growth
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses enzymes (such as beta-galactosidase, alpha-L-fucosidase, and sialidase) as intermediaries to convert readily available substrates (lactose, fucose, sialic acid) into human milk oligosaccharides. These enzymes act as biological catalysts that facilitate the synthesis of complex oligosaccharide structures from simpler precursor molecules, thereby solving the contradiction between providing adequate nutrition and incorporating beneficial oligosaccharides into infant formula.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent employs parameter changes by modifying the chemical structure of oligosaccharides through enzymatic reactions. By controlling reaction conditions such as pH, temperature, and enzyme concentration, the process transforms simple sugars into complex human milk oligosaccharides with specific structures (e.g., sialyl-lactose, fucosyl-lactose) that mimic the composition of human breast milk, thereby enhancing the nutritional quality of infant formula.
2Reliability
If human milk oligosaccharides are synthesized and added to infant formula, then Bifidobacteria growth is promoted and gut microbiota balance is improved, but the complexity of the formula production process increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the complex oligosaccharide synthesis process into multiple sequential enzymatic steps. Each enzyme performs a specific function: beta-galactosidase transfers galactose residues, alpha-L-fucosidase adds fucose residues, and sialidase incorporates sialic acid residues. This stepwise approach allows for better control of each reaction stage, simplifies process monitoring, and enables modular optimization of individual enzymatic steps while achieving the overall goal of producing human milk oligosaccharides.
3Quantity of substance
If enzymes for oligosaccharide synthesis are introduced, then human milk oligosaccharides can be produced, but the cost and complexity of the manufacturing process increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs universal enzymatic systems that can produce multiple types of human milk oligosaccharides using the same core set of enzymes. The described enzymes (beta-galactosidase, alpha-L-fucosidase, sialidase) can work together to synthesize various oligosaccharide structures including sialyl-lactose, fucosyl-lactose, and other human milk oligosaccharide variants. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate specialized enzymes for each oligosaccharide type, thereby simplifying the manufacturing process and reducing costs.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The synthesized oligosaccharides effectively stimulate the growth of Bifidobacteria, promoting a healthy gut microbiota balance in infants and individuals with compromised gut flora, mimicking the prebiotic effects of human milk oligosaccharides.
Implementation Method 1
nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide involved in oligosaccharide modification
Data Source
AI summary
This invention provides nucleic acids and proteins involved in oligosaccharide modification in the species Bifidobacteria. The invention provides methods for utilizing the proteins of the invention to generate human milk oligosaccharides or oligosaccharide mimics. The invention also provides compositions containing the human milk oligosaccharides or oligosaccharide mimics and methods for use.