Provided is a microorganism that is able to produce 2-phenylethanol at a high concentration, and a method of efficiently producing 2-phenylethanol by using a saccharide as a raw material. Provided is a coryneform bacterium transformant in which a shikimate pathway is activated, and further, a gene that encodes an enzyme having phenylpyruvate decarboxylase activity is introduced in such a manner that the gene can be expressed. Also provided is a 2-phenylethanol producing method that includes causing the coryneform bacterium transformant according to the present disclosure to react in water containing a saccharide.

Recombinant microorganisms, plants, and plant cells are disclosed that have been engineered to express a mutant AROM polypeptide and/or mutant catechol-O-methyltransferase polypeptide alone or in combination with one or more vanillin biosynthetic enzymes or UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs). Such microorganisms, plants, or plant cells can produce vanillin or vanillin beta-D-glucoside.

Provided is a microorganism that is able to efficiently produce protocatechuic acid or a salt thereof by using a saccharide as a raw material, and a method of efficiently producing protocatechuic acid or a salt thereof by using the microorganism.

Provided is a transformant having protocatechuic acid producing ability, subjected to modifications (A), (B), and (C) below: (A) enhancement of 3-dehydroshikimate dehydratase activity; (B) enhancement of chorismate pyruvate lyase activity; and (C) enhancement of 4-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase activity.

Also provided is a method of producing protocatechuic acid or a salt thereof, including the step of culturing the transformant in a reaction solution containing a saccharide so as to cause the transformant to produce protocatechuic acid or a salt thereof.

Recombinant microorganisms, plants, and plant cells are disclosed that have been engineered to express a mutant AROM polypeptide and/or mutant catechol-O-methyltransferase polypeptide alone or in combination with one or more vanillin biosynthetic enzymes or UDP-glycosyltransferases (UGTs). Such microorganisms, plants, or plant cells can produce vanillin or vanillin beta-D-glucoside.

This disclosure relates to compositions and methods for converting biomass to various chemical intermediates and final products including fuels. Aspects include the depolymerization of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose to a wide slate of depolymerization compounds that can be subsequently metabolized by genetically modified bacterium, and converted to cis,cis-muconic acid. Other aspects include the use of monometallic catalysts for converting the cis,cis-muconic acid to commodity chemicals and fuels, for example adipic acid and/or nylon.

The present invention provides a method of producing a polymer, which comprises the step of performing a polymerization reaction using, as a starting material, an organic acid obtained by allowing a microorganism or a treated cell thereof to act on an organic raw material, wherein said microorganism has an ability to produce an organic acid and has been modified so as to produce less aromatic carboxylic acid as compared to an unmodified strain.

This disclosure relates to compositions and methods for converting biomass to various chemical intermediates and final products including fuels. Aspects include the depolymerization of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose to a wide slate of depolymerization compounds that can be subsequently metabolized by genetically modified bacterium, and converted to cis,cis-muconic acid. Other aspects include the use of monometallic catalysts for converting the cis,cis-muconic acid to commodity chemicals and fuels, for example adipic acid and/or nylon.

The present invention relates to methods for producing vanilloid compounds in a recombinant host, and in particular for converting a protocatechuic aldehyde into a substantially pure vanilloid. It further relates to novel yeast strains that are suitable for producing such vanilloid compounds.

Provided are a method for producing an aromatic compound or a salt thereof using a transformed cell capable of producing the aromatic compound or the salt thereof, and this transformed cell. The present invention provides a method for producing an aromatic compound or a salt thereof, comprising the step of culturing a transformed cell with enhanced expression of a multi-pass transmembrane polypeptide represented by the following (A) or (B): (A) a polypeptide consisting of the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2, and (B) a polypeptide consisting of an amino acid sequence having at least 76% identity to the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 2.

The present invention relates to methods for producing vanilloid compounds in a recombinant host, and in particular for converting a protocatechuic aldehyde into a substantially pure vanilloid. It further relates to novel yeast strains that are suitable for producing such vanilloid compounds.