Coryneform bacterium transformant and process for producing phenol using the same
Provided is a phenol-producing transformant constructed by transferring a gene which encodes an enzyme having 4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylase activity into Corynebacterium glutamicum as a host. Also provided is a process for producing phenol, which comprises a step of allowing the transformant to react in a reaction mixture containing 4-hydroxybenzoate or a salt thereof under reducing conditions, and a step of collecting phenol from the reaction mixture.
1. An isolated phenol-producing transformant constructed by transferring a gene which encodes an enzyme having 4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylase activity into Corynebacterium glutamicum as a host, wherein the gene which encodes an enzyme having 4-hydroxybenzoate decarboxylase activity is the DNA consisting of the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO:35.
2. The transformant of claim 1 , wherein the Corynebacterium glutamicum as the host is a strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum in which a gene which encodes an enzyme having phenol 2-monooxygenase activity on the chromosome is disrupted or deleted.
3. The transformant of claim 1 , wherein the Corynebacterium glutamicum as the host is a strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum in which a gene which encodes an enzyme having 4-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase activity on the chromosome is disrupted or deleted.
4. The transformant of claim 1 , wherein the Corynebacterium glutamicum as the host is Corynebacterium glutamicum R ATCC13032, or ATCC13869.
5. The transformant of claim 1 , wherein the Corynebacterium glutamicum as the host is a strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum R ATCC13032, or ATCC13869 in which a gene which encodes an enzyme having phenol 2-monooxygenase activity on the chromosome is disrupted or deleted.
6. The transformant of claim 1 , wherein the Corynebacterium glutamicum as the host is a strain of Corynebacterium glutamicum R ATCC13032, or ATCC13869 in which a gene which encodes an enzyme having 4-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase activity on the chromosome is disrupted or deleted.
7. An isolated Corynebacterium glutamicum transformant PHE22-6.
8. A process for producing phenol, which comprises a step of allowing the transformant of claim 1 to react in a reaction mixture containing 4-hydroxybenzoate or a salt thereof under reducing conditions, and a step of collecting phenol from the reaction mixture.
9. The process of claim 8 , wherein the transformant does not substantially proliferate in the reaction step.
10. The process of claim 8 , wherein the oxidation-reduction potential of the reaction mixture under reducing conditions is -200 mV to -500 mV.