A method for the bio-production of threonine including genetically modified yeasts and a method in which they are used to produce threonine, as compared to the parent yeasts.

This disclosure generally relates to the use of microorganisms to make various functionalized polyketides through polyketoacyl-CoA thiolase-catalyzed non-decarboxylative condensation reactions instead of decarboxylative reactions catalyzed by polyketide synthases. Native or engineered polyketoacyl-CoA thiolases catalyze the non-decarboxylative Claisen condensation in an iterative manner (i.e. multiple rounds) between two either unsubstituted or functionalized ketoacyl-CoAs (and polyketoacyl-CoAs) serving as the primers and acyl-CoAs serving as the extender unit to generate (and elongate) polyketoacyl-CoAs. Before the next round of polyketoacyl-CoA thiolase reaction, the -keto group of the polyketide chain of polyketoacyl-CoA can be reduced and modified step-wise by 3-OH-polyketoacyl-CoA dehydrogenase or polyketoenoyl-CoA hydratase or polyketoenoyl-CoA reductase. Dehydrogenase converts the -keto group to -hydroxy group. Hydratase converts the -hydroxy group to --double-bond. Reductase converts the --double-bond to single bond. Spontaneous or thioesterase catalyzed termination reaction terminates the elongation of polyketide chain of polyketoacyl-CoA at any point through CoA removal and spontaneous reactions rearrange the structure, generating the final functional polyketide products.

The present invention provides polynucleotide vectors for high expression of heterologous genes. Some vectors further comprise novel transposons and transposases that further improve expression. Further disclosed are vectors that can be used in a gene transfer system for stably introducing nucleic acids into the DNA of a cell. The gene transfer systems can be used in methods, for example, gene expression, bioprocessing, gene therapy, insertional mutagenesis, or gene discovery.

The present invention relates to a recombinant microorganism for producing putrescine or ornithine, and a method for producing putrescine or ornithine using the same. Specifically, the present invention relates to a microorganism of the genus Corynebacterium capable of producing putrescine or ornithine, in which an activity of the transcriptional regulator of sugar metabolism (SugR) is weakened, an activity of the citrate synthase (GltA) is enhanced, or both are applied; and a method for producing putrescine or ornithine using the same.

The present invention provides for a genetically modified host cell capable of producing isopentenol and/or 3-methyl-3-butenol, comprising (a) an increased expression of phosphomevalonate decarboxylase (PMD) (b) an increased expression of a phosphatase capable of converting isopentenol into 3-methyl-3-butenol, (c) optionally the genetically modified host cell does not express, or has a decreased expression of one or more of NudB, phosphomevalonate kinase (PMK), and/or PMD, and (d) optionally one or more further enzymes capable of converting isopentenol and/or 3-methyl-3-butenol into a third compound, such as isoprene.

An Aureobasidium pullulans recombinant strain with high-yield heavy oil and a construction method and application thereof are provided. The Aureobasidium pullulans recombinant strain is obtained by knocking out a pullulan synthetase PUL gene while overexpressing an ACL gene. The obtained Aureobasidium pullulans recombinant strain can significantly increase the yield of heavy oil. After 7-day fermentation with xylose as carbon source, the yield of the heavy oil of the recombinant strain reaches 19.4372 g/L, while the yield of the heavy oil of the original strain is 10.0325 g/L, i.e. the recombinant strain improves the yield by 93.74% compared with the original strain.

The present invention relates to extracted plant lipid, comprising fatty acids in an esterified form.

Multi-carbon compounds such as ethanol, n-butanol, sec-butanol, isobutanol, tert-butanol, fatty (or aliphatic long chain) alcohols, fatty acid methyl esters, 2,3-butanediol and the like, are important industrial commodity chemicals with a variety of applications. The present invention provides metabolically engineered host microorganisms which metabolize methane (CH.sub.4) as their sole carbon source to produce multi-carbon compounds for use in fuels (e.g., bio-fuel, bio-diesel) and bio-based chemicals. Furthermore, use of the metabolically engineered host microorganisms of the invention (which utilize methane as the sole carbon source) mitigate current industry practices and methods of producing multi-carbon compounds from petroleum or petroleum-derived feedstocks, and ameliorate much of the ongoing depletion of arable food source farmland currently being diverted to grow bio-fuel feedstocks, and as such, improve the environmental footprint of future bio-fuel, bio-diesel and bio-based chemical compositions.

Disclosed are microalgal cells having an ablated or downregulated fatty acyl-ACP thioesterase (FATA) gene, wherein the cell is modified to express a heterologous lysophosphatidic acid acyltransferase (LPAAT) comprising an amino acid sequence that has at least 80% identity to an acyltransferase encoded by SEQ ID NO: 90, 89, 92, 93 or 95 and wherein the modified microalgal cell produces an oil with an elevated ratio of saturated-unsaturated-saturated triglycerides over trisaturated triglycerides as compared to a corresponding unmodified cell. Also disclosed are microalgal oils comprising at least 60% stearate-oleate-stearate (SOS) triglycerides, less than 5% trisaturates and wherein the fatty acid profile of the oil comprises at least 50% C18:0. Related methods of producing an oil are also disclosed.

Methods for the improved acylation of chemical substrates using LovD acyltransferases, thioesters having acyl groups, and (i) thiol scavengers and/or (ii) precipitating agents are presented. An improved method for the production of simvastatin using (i) activated charcoal as a thiol scavenger and/or (ii) ammonium hydroxide as a precipitating agent is also presented.