The present invention relates to a recombinant microbial host cell producing a tetraketide or derivatives thereof from one or more substrates selected from cinnamoyl-CoA, p-Coumaroyl-CoA, Caffeoyl-CoA, Feruloyl-CoA, malonyl-CoA, sinapoyl-CoA and dihydro derivatives thereof, comprising an operative biosynthetic metabolic pathway for the tetraketide or derivatives thereof comprising a chalcone isomerase-like (CHIL) polypeptide heterologous to the host cell and a Type 3 polyketide synthase (PKS).

The present invention relates to the field involved in the production of phenylbutanone or phenylbutanone derivative compounds, such as frambinone or zingerone, and in particular strains genetically modified to express a benzalacetone reductase.