Yeast microorganisms genetically engineered to improve isobutanol biosynthesis

• Main Authors: JUSTAS JANCAUSKAS, CATHERINE ASLESON DUNDON, RUTH BERRY, STEPHANIE PORTER-SCHEINMAN, ARISTOS ARISTIDOU, DOUG LIES, PETER MEINHOLD, MELISSA DEY, THOMAS BUELTER, ANDREW HAWKINS, MATTHEW PETERS, JUN URANO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 16.10.2013
• Subjects: BEER; BIOCHEMISTRY; CHEMISTRY; COMPOSITIONS THEREOF; CULTURE MEDIA; ENZYMOLOGY; FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIREDCHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERSFROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE; METALLURGY; MICROBIOLOGY; MICROORGANISMS OR ENZYMES; MUTATION OR GENETIC ENGINEERING; PROPAGATING, PRESERVING OR MAINTAINING MICROORGANISMS; SPIRITS; VINEGAR; WINE

A recombinant yeast the expresses either an endogenous or overexpressed endogenous gene of an enzyme that catalyses at least a step in the conversion of pyruvate to isobutanol, and is further engineered to reduce or eliminated an endogenous aldehyde dehydrogenase (ALDH or ALD6) that catalyses the conversion of isobutyraldehyde to isobutyrate and also an endogenous pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) that catalyses the conversion of pyruvate to acetaldehyde. The yeast may further have a glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD) deletion or mutation. The recombinant microorganisms may be microorganisms of the Saccharomyces Glade, Crabtree-negative yeast microorganisms, Crabtree-positive yeast microorganisms, post-WGD (whole genome duplication) yeast microorganisms, pre-WGD (whole genome duplication) yeast microorganisms, and non-fermenting yeast microorganisms, including Sacchormyces, Kluyveromyces, Pichia, Hansenula, Issatchenkia and Candida. Methods of isobutanol production are also claimed.