Provided is a method of producing an L-amino acid such as L-glutamic acid and the like. An L-amino-acid is produced by cultivating a coryneform bacterium having L-amino acid-producing ability in a culture medium, which has been modified so as to have one or more of the following modifications: (A) a modification for increasing activity of acetate kinase, (B) a modification for increasing activity of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, (C) a modification for decreasing activity of pyruvate dehydrogenase, (D) a modification for decreasing activity of aspartate transaminase, and (E) a modification for decreasing activity of malic enzyme; and collecting the L-amino acid from the culture medium and/or the bacterial cells.

Presented herein are biocatalysts and methods for converting C1-containing materials to organic acids such as muconic acid or adipic acid.

The present invention relates to methods and recombinant microorganisms useful for the production of glycolic acid and/or glyoxylic acid. The methods of the invention involve either only one step of fermentation of the modified microorganisms of the invention or one step of fermentation of the modified microorganisms of the invention and one step of either biological or chemical conversion of the glycolic acid or of the glyoxylic acid, the microorganism of the invention over expressing a phosphoketolase gene.

The invention describes a process for the production of ethanol from a composition comprising glucose and between 50 M and 100 mM acetic acid, said process comprising fermenting said composition in the presence of a recombinant yeast which is capable to convert acetic acid anaerobically; maintaining the amount of undissociated acetic acid at a value of at least 50 M; and recovering the ethanol. Said process is useful for both starch and cellulosic based, acetic acid containing hydrolysates and advantageously results in a greater consumption of acetic acid and thus higher ethanol yields.

Described is a method for the enzymatic production of an acyl phosphate from a 2-hydroxyaldehyde using a phosphoketolase or a sulfoacetaldehyde acetyltransferase.

The present invention provides for a mechanism to completely replace the electron accepting function of glycerol formation with an alternative pathway to ethanol formation, thereby reducing glycerol production and increasing ethanol production. In some embodiments, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising a down-regulation in one or more native enzymes in the glycerol-production pathway. In some embodiments, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism comprising an up-regulation in one or more enzymes in the ethanol-production pathway.

Presented herein are biocatalysts and methods for converting C1-containing materials to organic acids such as muconic acid or adipic acid.

The invention relates to a recombinant cell, preferably a yeast cell comprising one or more genes coding for an enzyme having glycerol dehydrogenase activity, one or more genes coding dihydroxyacetone kinase (E.C. 2.7.1.28 and/or E.C. 2.7.1.29); one or more genes coding for an enzyme in an acetyl-CoA-production pathway and one or more genes coding for an enzyme having at least NAD.sup.+ dependent acetylating acetaldehyde dehydrogenase activity (EC 1.2.1.10 or EC 1.1.1.2), and optionally one or more genes coding for a glycerol transporter. This cell can be used for the production of ethanol and advantageously produces little or no glycerol.

The present invention relates to methods and recombinant microorganisms useful for the production of glycolic acid and/or glyoxylic acid. The methods of the invention involve either only one step of fermentation of the modified microorganisms of the invention or one step of fermentation of the modified microorganisms of the invention and one step of either biological or chemical conversion of the glycolic acid or of the glyoxylic acid, the microorganism of the invention over expressing a phosphoketolase gene.

This present invention relates to cultured recombinant cells comprising a heterologous phosphoketolase (PKL) polypeptide that are capable of increased production of acetyl coenzyme A-derived metabolites, as well as methods for producing and using the same. In some embodiments, the recombinant cells further comprise one or more mevalonate (MVA) pathway polypeptides for the production of isoprenoid precursors, isoprene and isoprenoids.