IP Library Granted Patent US 9,133,487
Granted Patent B2
US 9,133,487 · App. 13/436,811 · Granted Sep 15, 2015

Microorganisms for producing methacrylic acid and methacrylate esters and methods related thereto

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,133,487
App. No.
13/436,811
Granted
Sep 15, 2015
Kind
B2
Abstract

The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial organism having a methacrylic acid, methacrylate ester, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and/or 2-hydroxyisobutyrate pathway. The microbial organism contains at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding an enzyme in a methacrylic acid pathway. The invention additionally provides a method for producing methacrylic acid, methacrylate ester, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and/or 2-hydroxyisobutyrate. The method can include culturing methacrylic acid, methacrylate ester, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and/or 2-hydroxyisobutyrate producing microbial organism, where the microbial organism expresses at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a methacrylic acid pathway enzyme in a sufficient amount to produce methacrylic acid, methacrylate ester, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and/or 2-hydroxyisobutyrate, under conditions and for a sufficient period of time to produce methacrylic acid, methacrylate ester, 3-hydroxyisobutyrate and/or 2-hydroxyisobutyrate.

Claims (21)

1. A non-naturally occurring bacterial organism having a methacrylic acid pathway, said bacterial organism comprising at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a methacrylic acid pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce methacrylic acid, said methacrylic acid pathway comprising a pathway selected from:

(a) citramalate synthase, citraconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(b) citramalate synthase, citraconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, citraconate isomerase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(c) citramalate synthase, mesaconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, citraconate isomerase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(d) citramalate synthase, mesaconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(e) citramalyl-CoA lyase, citramalyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, citraconate-forming citramalate dehydratase and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(f) citramalyl-CoA lyase, citramalyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, citraconate-forming citramalate dehydratase citraconate isomerase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(g) citramalyl-CoA lyase, citramalyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, mesaconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(h) citramalyl-CoA lyase, citramalyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, mesaconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, citraconate isomerase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(i) aconitate decarboxylase, itaconate isomerase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(j) aconitate decarboxylase, itaconate isomerase, citraconate isomerase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(k) aconitate decarboxylase, itaconyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, citramalyl-CoA dehydratase, citramalyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, citraconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(l) aconitate decarboxylase, itaconyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, citramalyl-CoA dehydratase, citramalyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, citraconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, citraconate isomerase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate;

(m) aconitate decarboxylase, itaconyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, citramalyl-CoA dehydratase, citramalyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, mesaconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate; and

(n) aconitate decarboxylase, itaconyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, citramalyl-CoA dehydratase, citramalyl-CoA transferase, synthetase or hydrolase, mesaconate-forming citramalate dehydratase, citraconate isomerase, and a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate.

2. The non-naturally occurring bacterial organism of claim 1 , wherein said non-naturally occurring bacterial organism further comprises a methacrylate ester pathway comprising at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a methacrylate ester pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce a methacrylate ester, said methacrylate ester pathway comprising methacrylyl-CoA synthetase, methacrylyl-CoA transferase, and alcohol transferase.

3. A method for producing methacrylic acid, comprising culturing the non-naturally occurring bacterial organism of claim 1 under conditions and for a sufficient period of time to produce methacrylic acid.

4. The non-naturally occurring bacterial organism of claim 1 wherein the decarboxylase is a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate comprising unsaturation.

5. The non-naturally occurring bacterial organism of claim 1 wherein the decarboxylase is a decarboxylase of a C1-C6 carboxylate having two carboxylate groups.

6. The non-naturally occurring bacterial organism of claim 1 wherein the decarboxylase is selected from the group consisting of aconitate decarboxylase, 4-oxalocrotonate decarboxylase, cinnamate decarboxylase, 4-oxalocronate decarboxylase, and sorbic acid decarboxylase.

7. The non-naturally occurring bacterial organism of claim 1 which is Escherichia coli.

Assignments (4)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 10, 2026
From: GENOMATICA, INC.
To: AGAIN BIO APS
Reel/Frame 074708/0001 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Dec 9, 2025
From: GENOMATICA, INC.
To: NOVO HOLDINGS A/S, AS COLLATERAL AGENT
Reel/Frame 073915/0027 →
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Jun 2, 2025
From: GENOMATICA, INC.
To: OXFORD FINANCE LLC
Reel/Frame 071471/0770 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Nov 13, 2012
From: BURK, MARK J.; BURGARD, ANTHONY P.; OSTERHOUT, ROBIN E.; SUN, JUN; PHARKYA, PRITI
To: GENOMATICA, INC.
Reel/Frame 029290/0211 →