IP Library Granted Patent US 12,606,852
Granted Patent B2
US 12,606,852 · App. 17/691,075 · Granted Apr 21, 2026

Conversion of lignin-derived monomers to muconate by engineered pseudomonas

Inventors: Christopher W. Johnson (Denver, CO); Gregg Tyler Beckham (Golden, CO); Allison Jean Zimont Werner (Denver, CO)
Assignee: Alliance for Energy Innovation, LLC
C12P7/42C12N9/0036C12N15/52C12N15/63
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,606,852
App. No.
17/691,075
Granted
Apr 21, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

Disclosed herein are engineered Pseudomonas useful to relieve the metabolic bottleneck of 4-hydroxybenzoate transformation in a muconate accumulating strain on an engineered Pseudomonas by swapping its endogenous para-hydroxybenzoate-3-hydroxylase (PHBH), PobA, with a homolog, PraI, that has a broader cofactor preference.

Claims (4)

1 . An engineered Pseudomonas bacterium comprising a gene encoding an exogenous PraI, wherein the bacterium is free of a gene encoding an endogenous PobA and wherein the bacterium increases production of muconic acid from p-coumarate when compared to a non-engineered Pseudomonas bacterium that comprises a gene encoding an endogenous PobA and wherein the bacterium produces at least 40 g/L of muconic acid; and wherein the gene encoding for PraI is greater than 85% identical to SEQ ID NO: 3; and wherein the bacterium has increased production of beta-ketoadipic acid when compared to a non-engineered Pseudomonas bacterium that comprises a gene encoding endogenous PobA.

2 . The engineered Pseudomonas bacterium of claim 1 , wherein the Pseudomonas bacterium is Pseudomonas strain CJ781.

3 . An engineered Pseudomonas bacterium comprising a gene encoding an exogenous PraI, wherein the bacterium is free of a gene encoding an endogenous PobA and is free of a gene encoding an endogenous PcaIJ and wherein the bacterium increases production of muconic acid from p-coumarate when compared to a non-engineered Pseudomonas bacterium that comprises a gene encoding an endogenous PobA and a gene encoding an endogenous PcaIJ and wherein the bacterium produces at least 40 g/L of muconic acid; and wherein the gene encoding for PraI is greater than 85% identical to SEQ ID NO: 3; and wherein the bacterium has increased production of beta-ketoadipic acid when compared to a non-engineered Pseudomonas bacterium that comprises a gene encoding endogenous PobA and a gene encoding endogenous PcaIJ and is free of a gene encoding exogenous PraI.

4 . The engineered Pseudomonas bacterium of claim 3 , wherein the Pseudomonas is Pseudomonas strain AW271.

Assignments (3)
CHANGE OF NAME Recorded Dec 16, 2025
From: ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC
To: ALLIANCE FOR ENERGY INNOVATION, LLC
Reel/Frame 073993/0276 →
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded May 11, 2022
From: NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY
To: UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 059890/0292 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 10, 2022
From: JOHNSON, CHRISTOPHER W.; BECKHAM, GREGG TYLER; ZIMONT WERNER, ALLISON JEAN
To: ALLIANCE FOR SUSTAINABLE ENERGY, LLC
Reel/Frame 059227/0097 →
Continuity (2)
Provisional Application 63158845 · Mar 9, 2021
Related Publication 20220290193A1 · Sep 15, 2022
References Cited (8)
US 20170275655A1 · Beckham · 2017 [cited by examiner]
JP 2010268773A · 2010 [cited by examiner]
Jha, Ramesh K., et al. “A protocatechuate biosensor for Pseudomonas putida KT2440 via promoter and protein evolution.” Metabolic engineering communications 6 (2018): 33-38 (Year: 2018). [cited by examiner]
PubChem, compound summary, 3- oxohexanedioic acid, 2024, www.pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/3-Oxoadipic-acid (Year: 2024). [cited by examiner]
Appendix A sequence alignment (Year: 2024). [cited by examiner]
Clarkson et al., “Construction and Optimization of a Heterologous Pathway for Protocatechuate Catabolismin [cited by applicant]
Kasai et al., “Uncovering the protocatechuate 2,3-cleavage pathway genes”, Journal of Bacteriology, 2009, vol. 191, No. 21, pp. 6758-6768. [cited by applicant]
Kuatsjah et al., “Debottlenecking 4-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylation in Pseudomonas putidaKT2440 improves muconate productivity from p-coumarate”, Metabolic Engineering, 2022, vol. 70, pp. 31-42. [cited by applicant]