The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having a 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) biosynthetic pathway having at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, or α-ketoglutarate decarboxylase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce monomeric 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB). Also provided is a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) biosynthetic pathways, the pathways include at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 4-hydroxybutyrate:CoA transferase, 4-butyrate kinase, phosphotransbutyrylase, α-ketoglutarate decarboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase or an aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Additionally provided are methods for the production of 4-HB and BDO.

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having a 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) biosynthetic pathway having at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, or α-ketoglutarate decarboxylase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce monomeric 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB). Also provided is a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) biosynthetic pathways, the pathways include at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 4-hydroxybutyrate:CoA transferase, 4-butyrate kinase, phosphotransbutyrylase, α-ketoglutarate decarboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase or an aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Additionally provided are methods for the production of 4-HB and BDO.

Compositions and methods for the production of L-glufosinate are provided. The method involves converting racemic glufosinate to the L-glufosinate enantiomer or converting PPO to L-glufosinate in an efficient manner. In particular, the method involves the specific amination of PPO to L-glufosinate, using L-glutamate, racemic glutamate, or another amine source as an amine donor. PPO can be obtained by the oxidative deamination of D-glufosinate to PRO (2-oxo-4-(hydroxy(methyl)phosphinoyl)butyric acid) or generated via chemical synthesis. PPO is then converted to L-glufosinate using a transaminase in the presence of an amine donor. When the amine donor donates an amine to PPO, L-glufosinate and a reaction by product are formed. Because the PPO remaining represents a yield loss of L-glufosinate, it is desirable to minimize the amount of PPO remaining in the reaction mixture. Degradation, other chemical modification, extraction, sequestration, binding, or other methods to reduce the effective concentration of the by-product, i.e., the corresponding alpha ketoacid or ketone to the chosen amine donor will shift the reaction equilibrium toward L-glufosinate, thereby reducing the amount of PPO and increasing the yield of L-glufosinate. Therefore, the methods described herein involve the conversion or elimination of the alpha ketoacid or ketone by-product to another product to shift the equilibrium towards L-glufosinate.

The present invention generally relates to the biotechnology engineering, and specifically to genetically modified mesophilic, methylotrophic bacteria, which allow for the production of biochemicals in a pH-independent manner. More specifically, the present invention provides a mesophilic, methylotrophic bacterium which expresses a polypeptide which has glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) activity and is catalytically active at a pH above 5.5. The present invention further provides a mesophilic, methylotrophic bacterium which expresses a) a polypeptide having -ketoglutarate decarboxylase (KDC) activity and b) a polypeptide having GABA transaminase (GABA-TA) activity. The present invention also provides methods for the pH-independent production of biochemicals, such as -amino butyric acid (GABA) or related compounds, using a bacterium of the invention.

This document describes biochemical pathways for producing 4-hydroxybutyrate, 4-aminobutyrate, putrescine or 1,4-butanediol by forming one or two terminal functional groups, comprised of amine or hydroxyl group, in a C5 backbone substrate such as 2-oxoglutarate or L-glutamate.

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having a 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) biosynthetic pathway having at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, or -ketoglutarate decarboxylase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce monomeric 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB). Also provided is a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) biosynthetic pathways, the pathways include at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 4-hydroxybutyrate:CoA transferase, 4-butyrate kinase, phosphotransbutyrylase, -ketoglutarate decarboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase or an aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Additionally provided is a method for the production of 4-HB. The method includes culturing a non-naturally occurring microbial organism having a 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) biosynthetic pathway including at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase or -ketoglutarate decarboxylase under substantially anaerobic conditions for a sufficient period of time to produce monomeric 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB). Further provided is a method for the production of BDO. The method includes culturing a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst, comprising a microbial organism having 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) biosynthetic pathways, the pathways including at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 4-hydroxybutyrate:CoA transferase, 4-hydroxybutyrate kinase, phosphotranshydroxybutyrylase, -ketoglutarate decarboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase or an aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase for a sufficient period of time to produce 1,4-butanediol (BDO). The 4-HB and/or BDO products can be secreted into the culture medium.

This document describes biochemical pathways for producing 4-hydroxybutyrate, 4-aminobutyrate, putrescine or 1,4-butanediol by forming one or two terminal functional groups, comprised of amine or hydroxyl group, in a C5 backbone substrate such as 2-oxoglutarate or L-glutamate.

This document describes biochemical pathways for producing 4-hydroxybutyrate, 4-aminobutyrate, putrescine or 1,4-butanediol by forming one or two terminal functional groups, comprised of amine or hydroxyl group, in a C5 backbone substrate such as 2-oxoglutarate or L-glutamate.

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having a 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) biosynthetic pathway having at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, or -ketoglutarate decarboxylase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce monomeric 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB). Also provided is a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) biosynthetic pathways, the pathways include at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 4-hydroxybutyrate:CoA transferase, 4-butyrate kinase, phosphotransbutyrylase, -ketoglutarate decarboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase or an aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Additionally provided are methods for the production of 4-HB and BDO.

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having a 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) biosynthetic pathway having at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, or -ketoglutarate decarboxylase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce monomeric 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB). Also provided is a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst including a microbial organism having 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) biosynthetic pathways, the pathways include at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 4-hydroxybutyrate:CoA transferase, 4-butyrate kinase, phosphotransbutyrylase, -ketoglutarate decarboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase or an aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase, wherein the exogenous nucleic acid is expressed in sufficient amounts to produce 1,4-butanediol (BDO). Additionally provided is a method for the production of 4-HB. The method includes culturing a non-naturally occurring microbial organism having a 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) biosynthetic pathway including at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase or -ketoglutarate decarboxylase under substantially anaerobic conditions for a sufficient period of time to produce monomeric 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB). Further provided is a method for the production of BDO. The method includes culturing a non-naturally occurring microbial biocatalyst, comprising a microbial organism having 4-hydroxybutanoic acid (4-HB) and 1,4-butanediol (BDO) biosynthetic pathways, the pathways including at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding 4-hydroxybutanoate dehydrogenase, succinyl-CoA synthetase, CoA-dependent succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase, 4-hydroxybutyrate:CoA transferase, 4-hydroxybutyrate kinase, phosphotranshydroxybutyrylase, -ketoglutarate decarboxylase, aldehyde dehydrogenase, alcohol dehydrogenase or an aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase for a sufficient period of time to produce 1,4-butanediol (BDO). The 4-HB and/or BDO products can be secreted into the culture medium.