IP Library Granted Patent US 8,765,446
Granted Patent B2
US 8,765,446 · App. 13/497,736 · Granted Jul 1, 2014

Recombinant mutant microorganisms having increased ability to produce alcohols and method of producing alcohols using the same

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,765,446
App. No.
13/497,736
Granted
Jul 1, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention relates to recombinant mutant microorganisms having an increased ability to produce alcohol and a method of producing alcohol using the same, and more particularly to recombinant mutant microorganisms which have an increased ability to produce butanol, ethanol, isopropanol or mixed alcohols, which can be used as fuel, while producing little or no producing acetone as a byproduct, and to a method of producing butanol, ethanol, isopropanol or mixed alcohols using the same. The inventive recombinant mutant microorganisms having an increased ability to produce butanol or mixed alcohols and to remove acetone are those in which genes that encode enzymes involved in producing butanol from butyryl-CoA or butylaldehyde and in producing isopropanol from acetone were amplified or introduced in host microorganisms. The recombinant mutant microorganisms produce little or no byproducts such as acetone and can have an increased ability to produce alcohols, as a result of manipulating metabolic pathways. Thus, the recombinant mutant microorganisms are useful for industrial production of butanol or mixed alcohols comprising butanol and isopropanol.

Claims (18)

1. A recombinant mutant microorganism having (A) an increased ability to produce butanol or mixed alcohols and (B) an increased ability to remove acetone, wherein the genes that encode enzymes involved in producing butanol from butyryl-CoA or butyraldehyde and involved in producing isopropanol from acetone are introduced in a host microorganism of the genus Clostridium , wherein the genes that encode enzymes involved in producing butanol from butyryl-CoA or butyraldehyde and involved in producing isopropanol from acetone are a primary/secondary alcohol dehydrogenase-encoding gene (adhI) and an electron-transfer protein-encoding gene (hydG).

2. The recombinant mutant microorganism of claim 1 , wherein the adhI and the hydG are derived from Clostridium beijerinckii NRRL B593.

3. The recombinant mutant microorganism of claim 1 , wherein the mixed alcohols comprise butanol and isopropanol.

4. The recombinant mutant microorganism of claim 1 , wherein the host microorganism comprises one or more metabolic pathways selected from the group consisting of: (A) an acetyl-CoA biosynthetic pathway; (B) a butyryl-CoA biosynthetic pathway; (C) an acetone biosynthetic pathway;

(D) an ethanol biosynthetic pathway; (E) a butanol biosynthetic pathway; (F) an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway; (G) a propanol biosynthetic pathway; and (H) an isopropanol biosynthetic pathway.

5. The recombinant mutant microorganism of claim 1 , wherein the host microorganism is one in which one or more biosynthetic pathways selected from the group consisting of: (A) an acetic acid biosynthetic pathway; (B) a butyric acid biosynthetic pathway; (C) a lactic acid biosynthetic pathway; (D) an acetoin biosynthetic pathway; and (E) a hydrogen biosynthetic pathway were completely blocked or regulated.

6. The recombinant mutant microorganism of claim 1 , further comprising amplifying or introducing genes that encode enzymes involved in acetone biosynthesis, wherein the genes that encode enzymes involved in acetone biosynthesis are selected from the group consisting of an acetoacetate decarboxylase-encoding gene (adc) and a CoA transferase-encoding gene (ctfA, ctfB).

7. The recombinant mutant microorganism of claim 1 , wherein the host microorganism is Clostridium acetobutylicum BKM 19.

8. A method of preparing a recombinant mutant microorganism having (A) an increased ability to produce butanol or mixed alcohols and (B) an increased ability to remove acetone, the method comprising introducing genes, which encode enzymes involved in producing butanol from butyryl-CoA or butyraldehyde and involved in producing isopropanol from acetone, in a host microorganism of the genus Clostridium , wherein the genes that encode enzymes involved in producing butanol from butyryl-CoA or butyraldehyde and involved in producing isopropanol from acetone are a primary/secondary alcohol dehydrogenase-encoding gene (adhI) and an electron-transfer protein-encoding gene (hydG).

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the adhl and the hydG are derived from Clostridium beijerinckii NRRL B593.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the mixed alcohols comprise butanol and isopropanol.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the host microorganism comprises one or more metabolic pathways selected from the group consisting of: (A) an acetyl-CoA biosynthetic pathway; (B) a butyryl-CoA biosynthetic pathway; (C) an acetone biosynthetic pathway; (D) an ethanol biosynthetic pathway; (E) a butanol biosynthetic pathway; (F) an isobutanol biosynthetic pathway;

(G) a propanol biosynthetic pathway; and (H) an isopropanol biosynthetic pathway.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the host microorganism is one in which one or more biosynthetic pathways selected from the group consisting of: (A) an acetic acid biosynthetic pathway; (B) a butyric acid biosynthetic pathway; (C) a lactic acid biosynthetic pathway; (D) an acetoin biosynthetic pathway; and (E) a hydrogen biosynthetic pathway were completely blocked or regulated.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising amplifying or introducing genes that encode enzymes involved in acetone biosynthesis, wherein the genes that encode enzymes involved in acetone biosynthesis are selected from the group consisting of an acetoacetate decarboxylase-encoding gene (adc) and a CoA transferase-encoding gene (ctfA, ctfB).

14. A method for producing butanol or mixed alcohols, the method comprising: culturing the recombinant mutant microorganism of claim 1 to produce butanol or mixed alcohols; and then recovering butanol or mixed alcohols from a culture medium used in the culture of the microorganism.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the host microorganism is Clostridium acetobutylicum BKM19.

16. A method for producing butanol or mixed alcohols, the method comprising: culturing the recombinant mutant microorganism of claim 6 to produce butanol or mixed alcohols; and then recovering butanol or mixed alcohols from a culture medium used in the culture of the microorganism.

Assignments (3)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Feb 5, 2016
From: FIRST AMERICAN FINANCIAL CORPORATION; BLACKROCK TRUST; CARTOUCHE INC; COBE HOLDINGS; THE BANK OF NEW YORK MELLON; MEDIGENICS; ISHARES GOLD TRUST; ROYAL BANK OF CANADA; HANS, DWAYNE CARTOUCHE, JR, MR
To: CARTOUCHE INC; HANS, DWAYNE CARTOUCHE, JR, MR; THE CARTOUCHE CORPORATION; AMERICAN, FIRST; TRUST & SHARE INVEST
Reel/Frame 037747/0001 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 4, 2016
From: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; BIOFUELCHEM CO.; GS CALTEX CORPORATION
To: GS CALTEX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 037670/0004 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 20, 2012
From: LEE, SAN YUP; JANG, YU-SIN; LEE, JOUNG MIN; IM, JUNG AE; SONG, HYOHAK
To: KOREA ADVANCED INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; BIOFUELCHEM CO.; GS CALTEX CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 028815/0206 →