Recombinant microorganisms having a methanol elongation cycle (MEC)

1. A recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism expressing enzymes that catalyze the conversion described in (i)-(xi), wherein at least one enzyme or the regulation of at least one enzyme that performs a conversion described in (i)-(xi) is heterologous to the microorganism:

(i) the production of acetyl-phosphate and erythrose-4-phosphate (E4P) from fructose-6-phosphate and/or the production of acetyl-phosphate and glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (G3P) from xylulose 5-phosphate;

(ii) the reversible conversion of fructose-6-phosphate and E4P to sedoheptulose 7-phosphate (S7P) and (G3P);

(iii) the reversible conversion of S7P and G3P to ribose-5-phosphate and xylulose-5-phosphate;

(iv) the reversible conversion of ribose-5-phosphate to ribulose-5-phosphate;

(v) the reversible conversion of ribulose-5-phosphate to xylulose-5-phosphate;

(vi) the reversible conversion of xylulose-5-phosphate and E4P to fructose-6-phosphate and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate;

(vii) the conversion of formaldehyde and ribulose-5-phosphate to D-arabino-3-Hexulose 6-phosphate;

(viii) the reversible conversion of D-arabino-3-Hexulose 6-phosphate to fructose-6-phosphate;

(ix) the conversion of formaldehyde and xylulose-5-phosphate to glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone;

(x) the conversion of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and dihydroxyacetone to fructose-6-phosphate; and

(xi) the conversion of methanol and a oxidized electron acceptor to formaldehyde and a reduced electron acceptor;

wherein the microorganism produces acetyl-phosphate, or compounds derived from acetyl-phosphate using a carbon source selected from the group consisting of methanol, methane, and formaldehyde and any combination thereof.

2. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is derived from an E. coli microorganism.

3. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 2 , wherein the E. coli is engineered to express a phosphoketolase.

4. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 3 , wherein the phosphoketolase is Fpk, Xpk or a bifunctional F/Xpk enzyme.

5. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism is engineered to heterologously expresses one or more of the following enzymes:

(a) a phosphoketolase (F/Xpk);

(b) a transaldolase (Tal);

(c) a transketolase (Tkt);

(d) a ribose-5-phosphate isomerase (Rpi);

(e) a ribulose-5-phosphate epimerase (Rpe);

(f) a methanol dehydrogenase (Mdh);

(g) a hexulose-6-phosphate synthase (Hps);

(h) a hexulose-6-phosphate isomerase (Phi);

(i) a dihydroxyacetone synthase (Das); and

(j) a fructose-6-phosphate aldolase (Fsa).

6. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 5 , wherein the microorganism is further engineered to express a phosphotransacetylase.

7. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 5 , wherein the microorganism is engineered to express a phosphoketolase derived from Bifidobacterium adolescentis.

8. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 7 , wherein the phosphoketolase comprises a sequence that is at least 49% identical to SEQ ID NO:2 and has phosphoketolase activity.

9. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 5 , wherein the microorganism is engineered to express or over express a hexulose-6-phosphate synthase.

10. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 5 , wherein the microorganism is engineered to express or over express a hexulose-6-phosphate isomerase.

11. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 5 , wherein the microorganism is engineered to express or over express a dihydroxyacetone synthase.

12. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 5 , wherein the microorganism is engineered to express or over express a fructose-6-phosphate aldolase.

13. The recombinant prokaryote or yeast microorganism of claim 1 , wherein the microorganism expresses enzymes selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a phosphoketolase having at least 49% identity to SEQ ID NO:2;

(b) a transaldolase having at least 30% identity to SEQ ID NO:10;

(c) a transketolase having at least 41% identity to SEQ ID NO:12;

(d) a ribose-5-phosphate isomerase having at least 37% identity to SEQ ID NO:8;

(e) a ribulose-5-phosphate epimerase having at least 51% identity to SEQ ID NO:6;

(f) a methanol dehydrogenase having at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:4;

(g) a hexulose-6-phosphate synthase having at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:14;

(h) a hexulose-6-phosphate isomerase having at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:16;

(i) a dihydroxyacetone synthase having at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:18;

(j) a fructose-6-phosphate aldolase having at least 95% identity to SEQ ID NO:20; and

(k) any combination of (a)-(j).