Genomatica, Inc.

Compositions and methods for producing aldehydes, alkanes, and alkenes are described herein. The aldehydes, alkanes, and alkenes can be used in biofuels.

The invention provides non-naturally occurring microbial organisms containing a fatty alcohol, fatty aldehyde or fatty acid pathway, wherein the microbial organisms selectively produce a fatty alcohol, fatty aldehyde or fatty acid of a specified length. Also provided are non-naturally occurring microbial organisms having a fatty alcohol, fatty aldehyde or fatty acid pathway, wherein the microbial organisms further include an acetyl-CoA pathway. In some aspects, the microbial organisms of the invention have select gene disruptions or enzyme attenuations that increase production of fatty alcohols, fatty aldehydes or fatty acids. The invention additionally provides methods of using the above microbial organisms to produce a fatty alcohol, a fatty aldehyde or a fatty acid.

The invention provides non-naturally occurring microbial organisms containing caprolactone pathways having at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a butadiene pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce caprolactone. The invention additionally provides methods of using such microbial organisms to produce caprolactone by culturing a non-naturally occurring microbial organism containing caprolactone pathways as described herein under conditions and for a sufficient period of time to produce caprolactone.

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.

Genetically engineered cells and microorganisms are provided that produce products from the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway (fatty acid derivatives), as well as methods of their use. The products are particularly useful as biofuels.

The disclosure relates to recombinant host cells including strain modifications effective to improve titer, yield and/or productivity of fatty acid derivatives. The disclosure further relates to cell cultures including the recombinant host cells for the fermentative production of fatty acid derivatives and compositions thereof.

The invention provides polypeptides and encoding nucleic acids of aldehyde dehydrogenase variants. The invention also provides cells expressing aldehyde dehydrogenase variants. The invention further provides methods for producing 3-hydroxybutyraldehyde (3-HBal) and/or 1,3-butanediol (1,3-BDO), or an ester or amide thereof, comprising culturing cells expressing an aldehyde dehydrogenase variant or using lysates of such cells. The invention additional provides methods for producing 4-hydroxybutyraldehyde (4-HBal) and/or 1,4-butanediol (1,4-BDO), or an ester or amide thereof, comprising culturing cells expressing an aldehyde dehydrogenase variant or using lysates of such cells.

The disclosure relates to the field of specialty chemicals. In particular, the disclosure provides novel 1,3-fatty-diol compounds and derivatives thereof which are useful e.g., in the production of personal care products, surfactants, detergents, polymers, paints, coatings, and as emulsifiers, emollients, and thickeners in cosmetics and foods, as industrial solvents and plasticizers, etc.

The invention provides non-naturally occurring microbial organisms containing enzymatic pathways and/or metabolic modifications for enhancing carbon flux through acetyl-CoA. In some embodiments, the microbial organisms of the invention having such pathways also include pathways for generating reducing equivalents, formaldehyde fixation and/or formate assimilation. The enhanced carbon flux through acetyl-CoA, in combination with pathways for generating reducing equivalents, formaldehyde fixation and/or formate assimilation can, in some embodiments, be used for production of a bioderived compound. Accordingly, in some embodiments, the microbial organisms of the invention can include a pathway capable of producing a bioderived compound of the invention. The invention still further provides a bioderived compound produced by a microbial organism of the invention, culture medium having the bioderived compound of the invention, compositions having the bioderived compound of the invention, a biobased product comprising the bioderived compound of the invention, and a process for producing a bioderived compound of the invention.

Recombinant microbial cells are provided which have been engineered to produce fatty acid derivatives having linear chains containing an odd number of carbon atoms by the fatty acid biosynthetic pathway. Also provided are methods of making odd chain fatty acid derivatives using the recombinant microbial cells, and compositions comprising odd chain fatty acid derivatives produced by such methods.