The present invention comprises a novel method to engineer soil bacteria to produce powerful chlorinated auxins. While chlorinated auxins were only found in few plant species, this technology will allow the construction of soil bacterial strains capable of producing chlorinated derivatives of indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). A select halogenase can be expressed in soil bacteria by inserting it into the genome or through an expression vector. The engineered strains can then be applied to any plants to promote growth, thus having promising applications in agriculture.

The present invention relates to genetically modified bacteria and methods of optimizing genetically modified bacteria for the production of a metabolite.

Provided are a cAMP receptor protein variant and coding sequence, a microorganism including the same, and a method of producing a L-amino acid using the same.

Single-module nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) and NRPS-like enzymes activate and transform carboxylic acids in both primary and secondary metabolism; and are of great interest due to their biocatalytic potentials. The single-module NRPS IvoA is essential for fungal pigment biosynthesis. As disclosed herein, we show that IvoA catalyzes ATP-dependent unidirectional stereoinversion of L-tryptophan to D-tryptophan with complete conversion. While the stereoinversion is catalyzed by the epimerization (E) domain, the terminal condensation (C) domain stereoselectively hydrolyzes D-tryptophanyl-S-phosphopantetheine thioester and thus represents a noncanonical C domain function. Using IvoA, we demonstrate a biocatalytic stereoinversion/deracemization route to access a variety of substituted D-tryptophan analogs in high enantiomeric excess.

The present disclosure relates to a method for producing L-tryptophan through the enhancement of prephenate dehydratase (PheA) activity.

Provided herein are biocatalysts and systems thereof for pterin-dependent enzymes and pathways and methods of making and using the same. Provided herein in some embodiments are biocatalysts having a pterin source and a pterin-dependent enzymatic pathway biologically coupled to the pterin source. Tetrahydrobiopterin (referred to herein as BH4 or BH 4) can be the pterin source. The BH4 can be synthesized by a tetrahydrobiopterin synthesis pathway. The tetrahydrobiopterin synthesis pathway can include a GTP cyclohydrase; a pyruvoyl tetrahydropterin synthase; a sepiapterin reductase, and/or any combination thereof. The biocatalyst can further contain a pterin-dependent enzymatic pathway. The pterin-dependent enzymatic pathway can be amino acid mono-oxygenase, phenylalanine hydroxylase, tryptophan hydroxylase, tyrosine hydroxylase, nitric oxide synthase, alkylglycerol monooxygenase, and/or any combination thereof.

The present disclosure provides methods for preparing β-substituted tryptophan compounds. The methods include: combining i) an unsubstituted indole or a substituted indole, ii) a β-substituted serine, and iii) a tryptophan synthase β-subunit (i.e., a TrpB); and maintaining the resulting mixture under conditions sufficient to form the β-substituted tryptophan. The TrpB contains at least one amino acid mutation which promotes formation of an amino-acrylate intermediate. New TrpB variants and new β-substituted tryptophan analogs are also described.

The present invention describes the use of thio-phosphate in the metabolic engineering of E. coli. Thio-phosphate can be used to increase the metabolic flux in important synthetic pathways to enhance the production of bioproducts. The pathways impacted include the following: fatty acid synthesis, isoprenoid syntheses, Vit K2 synthesis, ribonucleotide synthesis, and the synthesis of phosphoribosyl pyrophosphate (PRPP) derivatives like 5-aminoimidazole-4-carboxamide (AICA riboside), histidine, and tryptophan. Thus, thio-phosphate can be used to assist in the production of these molecules and/or their derivatives. Enhanced production of AICA in Bacillus megaterium is also demonstrated.

Biomass (e.g., plant biomass, animal biomass, microbial, and municipal waste biomass) is processed to produce useful products, such as food products and amino acids.

5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), a precursor of serotonin, is produced in a microbial host cell. A modified bacterial phenylalanine 4-hydroxylase (P4H) catalyzes the tryptophan 5-hydroxylation reaction. Optionally the host cell includes a cofactor regeneration mechanism, allowing continuous production of 5-HTP without supplementation of exogenous cofactors.