Microorganisms and processes for producing terephthalic acid and its salts

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10059967-B2
Application number	US-201314373160-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 18, 2013
Priority date	Jan 20, 2012
Publication date	Aug 28, 2018
Grant date	Aug 28, 2018

Abstract

The invention provides non-naturally occurring microbial organisms having a (2-hydroxy-3-methyl-4-oxobutoxy) phosphonate (2H3M40P) pathway, p-toluate pathway, and/or terephthalate pathway. The invention additionally provides methods of using such organisms to produce 2H3M40P, p-toluate or terephthalate. Also provided herein are processes for isolating bio-based aromatic carboxylic acid, in particular, p-toluic acid or terephthalic acid, from a culture medium, wherein the processes involve contacting the culture medium with sufficient carbon dioxide (CO2) to lower the pH of the culture medium to produce a precipitate comprised of the aromatic carboxylic acid.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing terephthalate, comprising culturing a non-naturally occurring Escherichia coli under conditions and for a sufficient period of time to produce terephthalate, wherein the non-naturally occurring Escherichia coli comprises:
a (2-hydroxy-3-methyl-4-oxobutoxy)phosphonate (2H3M4OP) pathway comprising at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a 2H3M4OP pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce 2H3M4OP, wherein said 2H3M4OP pathway comprises a pathway selected from:
(1) 1A, IB, 1C, 1D, 1E and 1F;
(2) 2A, 2B and 2C; and
(3) 2D, 2E and 2C,

wherein 1 A is an erythrose-4-phosphate dehydrogenase, wherein 1B is a 4-phosphoerythronate dehydrogenase, wherein 1C is a 2-acetyl-2,3-dihydroxy-4-phosphobutanoate synthase, wherein 1D is a 2-acetyl-2,3-dihydroxy-4-phosphobutanoate reductoisomerase, wherein 1E is a 2,3,4-trihydroxy-3-methyl-5-phosphopentanoate dehydratase, wherein 1F is a 4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-oxo-5-phosphopentanoate decarboxylase, wherein 2A is a 4,5-dihydroxy-2-oxopentanoate methyltransferase, wherein 2B is a 4,5-dihydroxy-3-methyl-2-oxopentanoate kinase, wherein 2C is a 4-hydroxy-3-methyl-2-oxo-5-phosphopentanoate decarboxylase, wherein 2D is a 4,5-dihydroxy-2-oxopentanoate kinase, wherein 2E is a 4-hydroxy-2-oxo-5-phosphopentanoate methyltransferase;
a p-toluate pathway comprising at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a p-toluate pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce p-toluate, wherein said p-toluate pathway comprises 4A, 4B, 4C, 4D, 4E, 4F, 4G and 4H, wherein 4A is a 2-dehydro-3-deoxyphosphoheptonate synthase; wherein 4B is a 3-dehydroquinate synthase; wherein 4C is a 3-dehydroquinate dehydratase; wherein 4D is a shikimate dehydrogenase; wherein 4E is a shikimate kinase; wherein 4F is a 3-phosphoshikimate-2-carboxyvinyltransferase; wherein 4G is a chorismate synthase and wherein 4H is a chorismate lyase; and
a terephthalate pathway comprising at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a terephthalate pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce terephthalate, wherein said terephthalate pathway comprises 5A, 5B and 5C, wherein 5A is a p-toluate methyl-monooxygenase reductase, wherein 5B is a 4-carboxybenzyl alcohol dehydrogenase and wherein 5C is a 4-carboxybenzyl aldehyde dehydrogenase.

Assignees

• Genomatica Inc

Inventors

• Osterhout Robin E
• Burgard Anthony P
• Burk Mark J

Classifications

• C08G63/183 Primary

  Terephthalic acids · CPC title

• C12N9/0006

  acting on CH-OH groups as donors (1.1) · CPC title

• C12N9/0004

  Oxidoreductases (1.) · CPC title

• C12N9/88

  Lyases (4.) · CPC title

• C12P7/40

  containing a carboxyl group {including Peroxycarboxylic acids} · CPC title