ω-Aminocarboxylic acids, ω-aminocarboxylic acid esters, or recombinant cells which produce lactams thereof

1. An isolated recombinant cell, which has been genetically modified relative to its wild type so that, in comparison to the wild type, the recombinant cell is able to produce more ω-aminocarboxylic acid, ω-aminocarboxylic acid esters, or more lactams derived from ω-aminocarboxylic acid, starting from carboxylic acids, or carboxylic acid esters, wherein the isolated recombinant cell comprises:

(i) a first nucleic acid encoding a heterologous enzyme E I , wherein the enzyme E I catalyzes the conversion of carboxylic acids or carboxylic acid esters to the corresponding ω-aminocarboxylic acid or ω-aminocarboxylic acid esters, and wherein the enzyme E I comprises an alkane monooxygenase encoded by the alkBGT gene from Psudomonas putida GPo1 comprising the amino acid sequences set forth in SEQ ID NOS: 50, 51, and 52, and a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase from Candida tropicalis ; and

(ii) a second nucleic acid encoding at least one of a heterologous enzyme E II and a heterologous enzyme E III , wherein the enzyme E II catalyzes the conversion of ω-hydroxycarboxylic acid or ω-hydroxycarboxylic acid esters to the corresponding ω-oxocarboxylic acids or ω-oxocarboxylic acid esters, wherein the enzyme E II is selected from the group consisting of an alkane monooxygenase, alcohol dehydrogenase, and alcohol oxidase, and wherein the enzyme E III catalyzes the conversion of ω-oxocarboxylic acids or ω-oxocarboxylic acid esters to the corresponding ω-aminocarboxylic acids or ω-aminocarboxylic acid esters, wherein the enzyme E III is a ω-transaminase,

wherein the expression of the first and second nucleic acids results in overexpression of the enzyme E I and overexpression of at least one of enzyme E II and enzyme E III and wherein said expression increases the production of ω-aminocarboxylic acid, ω-aminocarboxylic acid esters, or lactams derived from ω-aminocarboxylic acid compared to the wild type cell.

2. The isolated recombinant cell according to claim 1 , wherein the cell has increased activity of all the enzymes E I , E II and E III .

3. The isolated recombinant cell according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme E II is an alcohol dehydrogenase.

4. The isolated recombinant cell according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme E II is encoded by the alkJ gene from Pseudomonas putida GPo1.

5. The isolated recombinant cell according to claim 1 , wherein the enzyme E III is the ω-transaminase CV2025 from Chromobacterium violaceum DSM30191.

6. The isolated recombinant cell according to claim 1 , further comprising a third nucleic acid encoding a heterologous enzyme E IV , wherein the enzyme E IV catalyzes the conversion of ω-aminocarboxylic acid esters to the corresponding ω-aminocarboxylic acid, and wherein the expression of the enzyme E IV results in overexpression of enzyme E IV and said overexpression increases production of ω-aminocarboxylic acid.

7. The isolated recombinant cell according to claim 6 , wherein the enzyme E IV is the lipase LipA Q76D26 from Pseudomonas fluorescens , and wherein the lipase LipA Q76D26 is expressed and secreted from the cell.

8. The isolated recombinant cell according to claim 1 , further comprising a fourth nucleic acid encoding a heterologous enzyme E V , wherein the enzyme E V catalyzes the conversion of ω-aminocarboxylic acid to the corresponding lactams, and wherein the expression of the enzyme E V results in overexpression of enzyme E V and said overexpression increases production of lactams.

9. The isolated recombinant cell according to claim 8 , wherein the enzyme E v is secreted by the cell.

10. The isolated recombinant cell according to claim 1 , wherein the cell is a genetically modified Escherichia coli cell, a genetically modified Corynebacterium glutamicum cell or a genetically modified Pseudomonas putida cell.

11. A method for the production of a ω-aminocarboxylic acid, of a ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester or of a lactam derived from a ω-aminocarboxylic acid, comprising:

I) culturing the isolated recombinant cell according to claim 1 with a culture medium comprising a carboxylic acid or a carboxylic acid ester or with a culture medium contiguous with an organic phase comprising a carboxylic acid or a carboxylic acid ester in conditions for the cell to form a ω-aminocarboxylic acid, a ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester or a lactam derived from a ω-aminocarboxylic acid, starting from carboxylic acid or from a carboxylic acid ester;

II) optionally isolating the resultant ω-aminocarboxylic acid, the resultant ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester or the lactam derived from ω-aminocarboxylic acid.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester formed is converted by conventional chemical methods to ω-aminocarboxylic acid.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the recombinant cell is a genetically modified Escherichia coli cell, a genetically modified Corynebacterium glutamicum cell or a genetically modified Pseudomonas putida cell.

14. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the culture medium-comprises amino acids, which function as amine donor in the transaminase-catalysed conversion of the ω-oxocarboxylic acid or the ω-oxocarboxylic acid ester to the corresponding ω-aminocarboxylic acid or ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester.

15. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the method is carried out in a two-phase system, comprising

A) an aqueous phase, and

B) an organic phase,

where the formation of the ω-aminocarboxylic acid, the ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester or the lactam derived from ω-aminocarboxylic acid by the cell takes place in the aqueous phase and the resultant ω-aminocarboxylic acid, the resultant ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester or the resultant lactam derived from ω-aminocarboxylic acid accumulate in the organic phase.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the isolation of the resultant ω-aminocarboxylic acid, the resultant ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester or the lactam derived from ω-aminocarboxylic acid takes place by an at least two-stage purification process, comprising

a) extracting the ω-aminocarboxylic acid, the ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester or the lactam derived from ω-aminocarboxylic acid from the culture medium to obtain an extract, and

b) purifying the extract obtained by distillation methods or additional extraction processes, obtaining an ω-aminocarboxylic acid phase, an ω-aminocarboxylic acid ester phase or a lactam phase with a purity of at least 99.8%.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the extracting is a reactive extraction.

18. The method according to claim 11 , wherein the carboxylic acid is lauric acid or the carboxylic acid ester is methyl laurate and in that the lauric acid or the methyl laurate is converted to laurinlactam.