IP Library Granted Patent US 9,957,531
Granted Patent B1
US 9,957,531 · App. 15/658,668 · Granted May 1, 2018

Genetically engineered bacterium for the production of 3-hydroxybutyrate

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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 9,957,531
App. No.
15/658,668
Granted
May 1, 2018
Kind
B1
Abstract

The invention relates to a genetically engineered bacterium having an enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA, an enzyme that converts acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, and an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyrate. The bacterium may also have enzymes to produce other downstream products, such as 3-hydroxybutyryaldehyde, and 1,3-butanediol. Typically, the bacterium is capable of producing these products from a gaseous substrate, such as syngas or an industrial waste gas.

Claims (24)

1. A genetically engineered C1-fixing bacterium comprising:

(a) an enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA,

(b) an enzyme that converts acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA, and

(c) an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyrate,

wherein at least one of the enzymes is exogenous to the bacterium.

2. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme that converts acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA is thiolase (EC 2.3.1.9).

3. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme that converts acetoacetyl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA is 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.157) or acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (EC 4.2.1.36).

4. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyrate is thioesterase (EC 3.1.2.20), phosphate butyryltransferase (EC 2.3.1.19) and butyrate kinase (EC 2.7.2.7), or CoA-transferase (EC 2.8.3.9).

5. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA to 3-hydroxybutyrate is stereospecific.

6. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the 3-hydroxybutyrate is (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate, (S)-3-hydroxybutyrate, or a combination thereof.

7. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the bacterium further comprises an isomerase that interconverts (R)-3-hydroxybutyrate and (S)-3-hydroxybutyrate.

8. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the bacterium further comprises an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyrate to 3-hydroxybutyryaldehyde.

9. The bacterium of claim 8 , wherein the enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyrate to 3-hydroxybutyryaldehyde is aldehyde:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (EC 1.2.7.5).

10. The bacterium of claim 8 , wherein the bacterium further comprises an enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryaldehyde to 1,3-butanediol.

11. The bacterium of claim 10 , wherein the enzyme that converts 3-hydroxybutyryaldehyde to 1,3-butanediol is alcohol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.1. or 1.1.1.2.).

12. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the bacterium is derived from a parental bacterium selected from the group consisting of Acetobacterium woodii, Alkalibaculum bacchii, Blautia product, Butyribacterium methylotrophicum, Clostridium aceticum, Clostridium autoethanogenum, Clostridium carboxidivorans, Clostridium coskatii, Clostridium drakei, Clostridium formicoaceticum, Clostridium ljungdahlii, Clostridium magnum, Clostridium ragsdalei, Clostridium scatologenes, Eubacterium limosum, Moorella thermautotrophica, Moorella thermoacetica, Oxobacter pfennigii, Sporomusa ovata, Sporomusa silvacetica, Sporomusa sphaeroides , and Thermoanaerobacter kiuvi.

13. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the bacterium further comprises exogenous or endogenous aldehyde:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (AOR).

14. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the bacterium further comprises a disruptive mutation in a phosphotransacetylase (Pta) and an acetate kinase (Ack).

15. The bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the bacterium further comprises a disruptive mutation in a thioesterase.

16. A method of producing 3-hydroxybutyrate comprising culturing the bacterium of claim 1 in the presence of a substrate, whereby the bacterium produces 3-hydroxybutyrate.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the substrate is a gaseous substrate comprising one or more of CO, CO 2 , and H 2 .

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the substrate comprises syngas or industrial waste gas.

19. A method of producing 3-hydroxybutyryaldehyde comprising culturing the bacterium of claim 8 in the presence of a substrate, whereby the bacterium produces 3-hydroxybutyryaldehyde.

20. A method of producing 1,3-butanediol comprising culturing the bacterium of claim 10 in the presence of a substrate, whereby the bacterium produces 1,3-butanediol.

Assignments (4)
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE THE PATENT NUMBE 9,5348,20 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 059911 FRAME: 0400. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 4, 2022
From: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
To: LANZATECH NZ INC.
Reel/Frame 061084/0646 →
CORRECTIVE ASSIGNMENT TO CORRECT THE U.S. PATENT NUMBER 8,979,228 PREVIOUSLY RECORDED AT REEL: 059911 FRAME: 0400. ASSIGNOR(S) HEREBY CONFIRMS THE ASSIGNMENT. Recorded Aug 3, 2022
From: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
To: LANZATECH NZ, INC.
Reel/Frame 061058/0076 →
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded May 9, 2022
From: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
To: LANZATECH NZ, INC.
Reel/Frame 059911/0400 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded May 7, 2018
From: KOEPKE, MICHAEL; JENSEN, RASMUS OVERGAARD; BEHRENDORFF, JAMES BRUCE YARNTON HAYCOCK; HILL, RYAN EDWARD; JUMINAGA, DARMAWI; MUELLER, ALEXANDER PAUL
To: LANZATECH NEW ZEALAND LIMITED
Reel/Frame 045732/0884 →