Described are compositions and methods relating to modified yeast cells that over-express ?-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase (K.GD2). Die modified yeast cells produce increased amounts of ethanol compared to otherwise identical parental yeast cells. Such yeast cells are particularly useful for large-scale ethanol production from starch substrates.

Provided are a microorganism having an enhanced activity of alpha-ketoglutarate decarboxylase and a method of producing 4-hydroxybutyrate or 1,4-butanediol using the same.

Provided herein are microorganisms and methods for fermentative production of -ketoadipate from gaseous substrates such as carbon dioxide (CO.sub.2), carbon monoxide (CO), and/or hydrogen (H.sub.2). Additionally, the processes provided herein are methods for producing polymers containing -ketoadipate, that can potentially enable a circular economy by diverting waste, e.g., plastic waste.

Disclosed herein are methods and compositions for the treatment and/or prevention of diseases or conditions comprising administration of a therapeutic biological molecule, and/or naturally or artificially occurring derivatives, analogues, or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, alone or in combination with one or more active agents (e.g., an aromatic-cationic peptide). The present technology provides compositions related to aromatic-cationic peptides linked to a therapeutic biological molecule and uses of the same. In some embodiments, the aromatic-cationic peptide comprises 2,6-dimethyl-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH.sub.2, Phe-D-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH.sub.2, or D-Arg-2,6-Dmt-Lys-Phe-NH.sub.2.

The present invention relates to 25 hitherto undescribed genes of B. licheniformis and gene products derived thereform and all sufficiently homologous nucleic acids and proteins thereof. They occur in five different metabolic pathways for the formation of odorous substances. The metabolic pathways in question are for the synthesis of: 1) isovalerian acid (as part of the catabolism of leucine), 2) 2-methylbutyric acid and/or isobutyric acid (as part of the catabolism of valine and/or isoleucine), 3) butanol and/or butyric acid (as part of the metabolism of butyric acid), 4) propyl acid (as part of the metabolism of propionate) and/or 5) cadaverine and/or putrescine (as parts of the catabolism of lysine and/or arginine). The identification of these genes allows biotechnological production methods to be developed that are improved to the extent that, to assist these nucleic acids, the formation of the odorous substances synthesised via these metabolic pathways can be reduced by deactivating the corresponding genes in the micro-organism used for the biotechnological production. In addition, these gene products are thus available for preparing reactions or for methods according to their respective biochemical properties.

Provided are a microorganism having an enhanced activity of alpha-ketoglutarate decarboxylase and a method of producing 4-hydroxybutyrate or 1,4-butanediol using the same.

The present invention aims to provide a method for producing polybutylene terephthalate (PBT) with an excellent color using biomass-derived 1,4-butanediol (BG). The invention relates to a method for producing PBT comprising a step of subjecting a diol component containing raw material 1,4-BG having a nitrogen content of 0.01 to 50 ppm by mass and a dicarboxylic acid component to esterification or ester-exchange reaction, and a polycondensation reaction step for obtaining PBT from the reactant, wherein the content of gamma butyrolactone in the raw material 1,4-BG is 1 to 100 ppm by mass.

Provided are a theanine-producing strain and use thereof in tea fermentation production. A corynebacterium glutamicum is proposed, which includes an alanine decarboxylase CsAlaDC mutant. The theanine-producing strain is obtained by taking the corynebacterium glutamicum as a starting strain, knocking out in sequence an -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase E1 subunit gene odhA, a glutamate external transporter gene Ncg11221 and a lactate dehydrogenase gene ldh; and/or expressesing a citrate synthase gene gltA, a pyruvate kinase gene pyk and a glutamate dehydrogenase gene gdh; and/or overexpressing an alanine dehydrogenase alaA and integrating a -glutamine synthetase GMAS into a cg1960 pseudogene locus of the corynebacterium glutamicum.

Provided are a theanine-producing strain and use thereof in tea fermentation production. A Corynebacterium glutamicum is proposed, which includes an alanine decarboxylase CsAlaDC mutant. The theanine-producing strain is obtained by taking the Corynebacterium glutamicum as a starting strain, knocking out in sequence an -ketoglutarate dehydrogenase E1 subunit gene odhA, a glutamate external transporter gene Ncg11221 and a lactate dehydrogenase gene ldh; and/or expressing a citrate synthase gene gltA, a pyruvate kinase gene pyk and a glutamate dehydrogenase gene gdh; and/or overexpressing an alanine dehydrogenase alaA and integrating a -glutamine synthetase GMAS into a cg1960 pseudogene locus of the Corynebacterium glutamicum.

The present invention relates to a novel strain of Trichoderma comprising genetic modifications that enable the improved production of an enzyme cocktail, involving at least upregulation of the transcription factor Xyr1 according to SEQ ID No. 1; disruption of the gene ACE1 according to SEQ ID No. 2; disruption of the gene SLP1 according to SEQ ID No. 3; and expression of the gene Cel3a from Rasamsonia emersonii according to SEQ ID No. 4.