There is provided an acetogenic microbial cell which is capable of producing at least one higher alcohol from a carbon source, wherein the acetogenic microbial cell is genetically modified to comprise an increased expression relative to its wild type cell of at least one enzyme, E.sub.8, a butyryl-CoA:acetate CoA transferase (cat3). There is also provided a method and use of the cell to produce higher alcohols.

A Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with high yield of ethyl butyrate and a construction method and an application thereof are provided. The strain is obtained by over-expressing in the starting strain acetyl coenzyme A acyl transferase gene Erg10, 3-hydroxybutyryl coenzyme A dehydrogenase gene Hbd, 3-hydroxybutyryl coenzyme A dehydratase gene Crt, trans-2-enoyl coenzyme A reductase gene Ter, and alcohol acyl transferase gene AAT. Compared to the starting bacteria not producing ethyl butyrate, the yield of ethyl butyrate of the constructed strain reaches 77.33±3.79 mg/L, the yield of the ethyl butyrate of the strain with double copy expression of gene Ter and gene AAT reaches 99.65±7.32 mg/L, increased by 28.9% compared with the EST strain, and 40.93±3.18 mg/L of ethyl crotonate is unexpectedly produced.

A non-naturally occurring microbial organism includes a microbial organism having a 1,3-butanediol (1,3-BDO) pathway having at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a 1,3-BDO pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce 1,3-BDO. The pathway includes an enzyme selected from a 2-amino-4-ketopentanoate (AKP) thiolase, an AKP dehydrogenase, a 2-amino-4-hydroxypentanoate aminotransferase, a 2-amino-4-hydroxypentanoate oxidoreductase (deaminating), a 2-oxo-4-hydroxypentanoate decarboxylase, a 3-hydroxybutyraldehyde reductase, an AKP aminotransferase, an AKP oxidoreductase (deaminating), a 2,4-dioxopentanoate decarboxylase, a 3-oxobutyraldehyde reductase (ketone reducing), a 3-oxobutyraldehyde reductase (aldehyde reducing), a 4-hydroxy-2-butanone reductase, an AKP decarboxylase, a 4-aminobutan-2-one aminotransferase, a 4-aminobutan-2-one oxidoreductase (deaminating), a 4-aminobutan-2-one ammonia-lyase, a butenone hydratase, an AKP ammonia-lyase, an acetylacrylate decarboxylase, an acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (CoA-dependent, aldehyde forming), an acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (CoA-dependent, alcohol forming), an acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (ketone reducing), a 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA reductase (aldehyde forming), a 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA reductase (alcohol forming), a 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydratase, and a crotonase. A method for producing 1,3-BDO, includes culturing such microbial organisms under conditions and for a sufficient period of time to produce 1,3-BDO.

Disclosed is a genetically modified microorganism that produces 3-hydroxyadipic acid, α-hydromuconic acid. or adipic acid in high yield. A nucleic acid encoding any one of the polypeptides described in (a) to (c) below is introduced or the expression of the polypeptide is enhanced and the function of pyruvate kinase is impaired in the genetically modified microorganism: (a) a polypeptide composed of an amino acid sequence represented by any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 7; (b) a polypeptide having the same amino acid sequence as any one of those amino acid sequences, except that one or several amino acids are substituted, deleted, inserted, andor added, and having an enzymatic activity that catalyzes a reaction to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA; (c) a polypeptide composed of an amino acid sequence with a sequence identity of not less than 70% to any one of those amino acid sequences and having an enzymatic activity that catalyzes a reaction to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA.

The invention provides microorganisms and methods for the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from gaseous substrates. In particular, the invention provides a non-naturally occurring Wood-Ljungdahl microorganism comprising (a) an enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA, (b) an enzyme that converts acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, and (c) an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to polyhydroxybutyrate, and methods related thereto.

The invention provides microorganisms and methods for the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) from gaseous substrates. In particular, the invention provides a non-naturally occurring Wood-Ljungdahl microorganism comprising (a) an enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA, (b) an enzyme that converts acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, and (c) an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to polyhydroxybutyrate, and methods related thereto.

A Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain with high yield of ethyl butyrate and a construction method and an application thereof are provided. The strain is obtained by over-expressing in the starting strain acetyl coenzyme A acyl transferase gene Erg10, 3-hydroxybutyryl coenzyme A dehydrogenase gene Hbd, 3-hydroxybutyryl coenzyme A dehydratase gene Crt, trans-2-enoyl coenzyme A reductase gene Ter, and alcohol acyl transferase gene AAT. Compared to the starting bacteria not producing ethyl butyrate, the yield of ethyl butyrate of the constructed strain reaches 77.33±3.79 mg/L, the yield of the ethyl butyrate of the strain with double copy expression of gene Ter and gene AAT reaches 99.65±7.32 mg/L, increased by 28.9% compared with the EST strain, and 40.93±3.18 mg/L of ethyl crotonate is unexpectedly produced.

Provided are genetically engineered microorganism that catalyze the synthesis of propane and/or butanol from a suitable substrate such as glucose. Also provided are methods of engineering said genetically engineered microorganism and methods of producing propane and/or butanol using the genetically engineered microorganism.

A combination of an electrochemical device for delivering reducing equivalents to a cell, and engineered metabolic pathways within the cell capable of utilizing the electrochemically provided reducing equivalents is disclosed. Such a combination allows the production of commodity chemicals by fermentation to proceed with increased carbon efficiency.

A combination of an electrochemical device for delivering reducing equivalents to a cell, and engineered metabolic pathways within the cell capable of utilizing the electrochemically provided reducing equivalents is disclosed. Such a combination allows the production of commodity chemicals by fermentation to proceed with increased carbon efficiency.