Embodiments of the present invention relate to methods for the biosynthesis of di- or trifunctional C7 alkanes in the presence of isolated enzymes or in the presence of a recombinant host cell expressing those enzymes. The di- or trifunctional C7 alkanes are useful as intermediates in the production of nylon-7, nylon-7,x, nylon-x,7, and polyesters.

The invention relates to a genetically engineered bacterium comprising an energy-generating fermentation pathway and methods related thereto. In particular, the invention provides a bacterium comprising a phosphate butyryltransferase (Ptb) and a butyrate kinase (Buk) (Ptb-Buk) that act on non-native substrates to produce a wide variety of products and intermediates. In certain embodiments, the invention relates to the introduction of Ptb-Buk into a C1-fixing microoorgansim capable of producing products from a gaseous substrate.

Described are acyl-CoA hydrolase (ACH) variants variants showing an improved activity in converting 3-methylcrotonyl-CoA into 3-methylcrotonic acid or an increased activity in converting crotonyl-CoA into crotonic acid as well as methods for the production of 3-methylcrotonic acid or isobutene or crotonic acid using such enzyme variants.

The present invention relates to a recombinant organism or microorganism having a decreased pool of crotonic acid compared to the organism or microorganism from which it is derived due to at least one of: (i) an increased conversion of crotonyl-CoA into butyryl-CoA; and/or an increased conversion of butyryl-CoA into butyric acid; (ii) an increased conversion of crotonyl-CoA into 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA; and/or an increased conversion of 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA into 3-hydroxybutyric acid; (iii) an increased conversion of crotonic acid into crotonyl-CoA; (iv) an increased conversion of crotonyl-[acyl-carrier protein] into butyryl [acyl-carrier-protein]; (v) a decreased conversion of crotonyl-CoA into crotonic acid; and/or (vi) a decreased conversion of crotonyl-[acyl-carrier protein] into crotonic acid. Moreover, the present invention relates to the use of such a recombinant organism or microorganism for the production of alkenes with the enzyme ferulic acid decarboxylase. Further, the present invention relates to a method for the production of isobutene or butadiene by culturing such a recombinant organism or microorganism in a suitable culture medium under suitable conditions.

Microorganisms are genetically engineered to continuously produce fatty acids, fatty alcohols, cultured protein, or any combination thereof by microbial fermentation, particularly by microbial fermentation of a gaseous substrate. The microorganisms are C1-fixing. The production of fatty acids, fatty alcohols, and cultured proteins can be improved. This can be improved through the expression of 3-hydroxyacyl-ACP:CoA transacylases.

A method for producing isoprene glycol, including: enzymatically generating 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyryl-CoA (HMB-CoA) from acetyl-CoA (Ac-CoA); enzymatically generating 3-methyl-3-hydroxybutyrylaldehyde (3-HMBA) from HMB-CoA; and enzymatically converting 3-HMBA to isoprene glycol (ISPG). Wherein the enzymatically generating 3-HMBA from HMB-CoA includes: enzymatically reducing HMB-CoA to produce 3-HMB; or enzymatically hydrolyzing HMB-CoA to 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutyric acid (HMB) and then enzymatically reducing HMB to 3-HMBA. Also provided herein are an enzyme composition, a nucleic acid composition, and a transgenic microorganism for producing isoprene glycol.

The disclosure relates to methods for the production of natural lactones by bacteria under physiological conditions. The methods employ ybgC proteins having lactonizing activity.