IP Library Granted Patent US 8,741,612
Granted Patent B2
US 8,741,612 · App. 13/894,732 · Granted Jun 3, 2014

Microorganisms and processes for the production of isoprene

Inventors: Paul Campbell (Houston, TX); Sebastian Bredow (Houston, TX); Huaijin Zhou (Houston, TX); Stephanie Doneske (Katy, TX); Daniel J. Monticello (The Woodlands, TX)
Assignee: Glycos Biotechnologies, Inc.
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 8,741,612
App. No.
13/894,732
Granted
Jun 3, 2014
Kind
B2
Abstract

The present invention provides a novel biosynthetic pathway for the production of isoprene from 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol or 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol. Further embodiments provide non-naturally occurring microorganism that have been modified to produce isoprene from 3-methyl-2-buten-1-ol or 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol and methods of producing isoprene using said microorganism.

Claims (20)

1. A non-naturally occurring microbial organism comprising an isoprene biosynthetic pathway for the conversion of dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) to isoprene, wherein the isoprene biosynthetic pathway comprises the conversion of DMAPP to 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol followed by the conversion of 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol to isoprene and wherein the isoprene biosynthetic pathway comprises an exogenous nucleic acid encoding at least one 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol synthase capable of converting DMAPP to 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol and an exogenous nucleic acid encoding at least one 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol dehydratase capable of converting 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol to isoprene and wherein the isoprene biosynthetic pathway is expressed at a sufficient level to produce isoprene.

2. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 1 , wherein the organism overexpresses one or more endogenous or exogenous genes encoding at least one enzyme selected from: an enzyme of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway or an enzyme of the mevalonate pathway.

3. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 2 , wherein the dimethylallyl diphosphate available for conversion to isoprene is increased.

4. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 1 , wherein the 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol dehydratase is a linalool dehydratase-isomerase.

5. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 4 , wherein the 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol dehydratase is a linalool dehydratase-isomerase derived from Castellaniella defragrans.

6. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 1 , further comprising one or more endogenous or exogenous genes encoding at least one enzyme of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway selected from: 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase, 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol synthase, 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol kinase, 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-2,4-cyclodiphosphate synthase, 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl-4-diphosphate synthase, dimethylallyl-diphosphate/isopentenyl-diphosphate:NAD(P) + oxidoreductase, isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase, and combinations thereof.

7. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 1 , further comprising one or more endogenous or exogenous genes encoding at least one enzyme of the mevalonate pathway selected from: acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, mevalonate kinase, phosphomevalonate kinase, diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase, isopentenyl-diphosphate isomerase and combinations thereof.

8. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 1 , wherein the microbial organism is selected from bacteria, archaea, eubacteria, yeast and fungi.

9. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 1 , wherein the microbial organism is an Escherichia coli.

10. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 1 , wherein the 2-methyl-3-buten-2-ol synthase is a terpene synthase.

11. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 10 , wherein the terpene synthase is a linalool synthase.

12. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 11 , wherein the linalool synthase is derived from Clarkia breweri, Arabidopsis thaliana, Perilla setoyensis, Perilla frutescans, Actinidia arguta, Actinidia polygama, Artemesia annua, Ocimum basilicum , or Mentha aquatica.

13. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 10 , wherein the terpene synthase is a nerolidol synthase.

14. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 13 , wherein the nerolidol synthase is derived from Fragaria ananassa.

15. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 2 , wherein the at least one enzyme of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway is selected from: 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase, 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol synthase, 4-diphosphocytidyl-2-C-methyl-D-erythritol kinase, 2-C-methyl-D-erythritol-2,4-cyclodiphosphate synthase, 1-hydroxy-2-methyl-2-(E)-butenyl-4-diphosphate synthase, dimethylallyl-diphosphate/isopentenyl-diphosphate:NAD(P) + oxidoreductase, isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase, and combinations thereof.

16. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 15 , wherein the at least one enzyme of the methylerythritol phosphate pathway is selected from: 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate synthase, 1-deoxy-D-xylulose-5-phosphate reductoisomerase and isopentenyl diphosphate isomerase.

17. The non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 2 , wherein the at least one enzyme of the mevalonate pathway is selected from: acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA synthase, 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA reductase, mevalonate kinase, phosphomevalonate kinase, diphosphomevalonate decarboxylase, isopentenyl-diphosphate isomerase and combinations thereof.

18. A non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 1 , wherein the dimethylallyl diphosphate available for conversion to isoprene is increased.

19. A method of producing isoprene, the method comprising the steps of culturing a non-naturally occurring microbial organism of claim 1 in a suitable culture medium containing a carbon source under conditions such that the non-naturally occurring microorganism converts at least a part of the carbon source to isoprene, and optionally recovering the isoprene.

20. The method of claim 19 , wherein at least one enzyme of a methylerythritol phosphate pathway or the mevalonate pathway is overexpressed by the organism.

Assignments (2)
SECURITY INTEREST Recorded Oct 13, 2014
From: GLYCOS BIOTECHNOLOGIES, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 033936/0271 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 31, 2014
From: CAMPBELL, PAUL; BREDOW, SEBASTIAN; ZHOU, HUAIJIN; DONESKE, STEPHANIE; MONTICELLO, DANIEL J.
To: GLYCOS BIOTECHNOLOGIES, INC.
Reel/Frame 032566/0206 →
Continuity (3)
Provisional Application 61776485 · Mar 11, 2013
Provisional Application 61688514 · May 16, 2012
Related Publication 20130309741A1 · Nov 21, 2013