IP Library Granted Patent US 8,361,760
Granted Patent B2
US 8,361,760 · App. 12/718,469 · Granted Jan 29, 2013

Microbial production of 3-hydroxyacids from glucose and glycolate

Inventors: Collin Hunter Martin (North Wales, PA); Kristala Lanett Jones Prather (Milton, MA)
Assignee: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,361,760
App. No.
12/718,469
Granted
Jan 29, 2013
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention relates to recombinant cells and their use in the production of 3-hydroxyacids such as 3,4-dihydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxybutyrolactone.

Claims (20)

1. An isolated cell that recombinantly expresses (1) a pct gene, encoding a propionyl-CoA transferase enzyme (2) at least one of a phaA, thil, atoB or bktB gene, encoding a thiolase enzyme (3) at least one of a phaB or hbd gene, encoding a reductase enzyme, and (4) a tesB gene, encoding a thioesterase B enzyme, wherein the isolated recombinant cell can produce a cell culture that contains at least 200 mg L −1 3,4-dihydroxybutyrate (DHBA) or at least 10 mg L −1 3-hydroxybutyrolactone (3-HBL).

2. The isolated cell of claim 1 wherein the cell further recombinantly expresses a gene encoding for glycolate reductase.

3. The isolated cell of claim 1 wherein the cell is a bacterial cell, a fungal cell, a plant cell, an insect cell or an animal cell.

4. A method for producing DHBA or 3-HBL, the method comprising culturing the isolated cell of claim 1 to produce DHBA or 3-HBL.

5. The method of claim 4 , further comprising recovering the DHBA or 3-HBL from the cell culture.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the cell is cultured in the presence of glycolate.

7. A cell culture produced by culturing the isolated cell of claim 1 .

8. The cell culture of claim 7 , wherein the cell culture contains at least 200 mg L −1 DHBA.

9. The cell culture of claim 7 , wherein the cell culture contains at least 10 mg L −1 3-HBL.

10. A supernatant of a cell culture produced by culturing the isolated cell of claim 1 .

11. The supernatant of claim 10 , wherein the supernatant contains at least 200 mg L −1 DHBA.

12. The supernatant of claim 10 , wherein the supernatant contains at least 10 mg L −1 3-HBL.

13. The supernatant of claim 10 wherein the supernatant is subjected to lactonization.

14. The supernatant of claim 13 wherein lactonization is achieved through acidification to reduce the pH of the supernatant.

15. The supernatant of claim 13 wherein lactonization is achieved through auto-lactonization of DHBA-CoA.

16. A method for producing an isolated cell that has increased 3,4-dihydroxybutyrate (DHBA) or 3-hydroxybutyrolactone (3-HBL) production comprising recombinantly expressing (1) a pct gene, encoding a propionyl-CoA transferase enzyme (2) at least one of a phaA, thil, atoB or bktB gene, encoding a thiolase enzyme (3) at least one of a phaB or hbd gene, encoding a reductase enzyme, and (4) a tesB gene, encoding a thioesterase B enzyme in the cell.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the isolated cell further recombinantly expresses a gene encoding for glycolate reductase.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the isolated cell is a bacterial cell, a fungal cell, a plant cell, an insect cell or an animal cell.

19. The isolated cell of claim 3 , wherein the fungal cell is a yeast cell.

20. The method of claim 18 , wherein the fungal cell is a yeast cell.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Oct 15, 2010
From: MARTIN, COLLIN HUNTER; JONES PRATHER, KRISTALA LANETT
To: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
Reel/Frame 025145/0968 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded May 26, 2010
From: MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY
To: NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION
Reel/Frame 024441/0852 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 61158216 · Mar 6, 2009
Related Publication 20100255549A1 · Oct 7, 2010