Process for the biological production of methacrylic acid and derivatives thereof
A process of producing methacrylic acid and/or derivatives thereof including the following steps: (a) biologically converting isobutyryl-CoA into methacrylyl-CoA by the action of an oxidase; and (b) converting methacrylyl-CoA into methacrylic acid and/or derivatives thereof. The invention also extends to microorganisms adapted to conduct the steps of the process.
1. A process of producing methacrylic acid and/or derivatives thereof comprising the following steps:
(a) biologically converting isobutyryl-CoA into methacrylyl-CoA by the action of a short chain acyl-CoA oxidase from Arthrobacter nicotianae ; and
(b) converting methacrylyl-CoA into methacrylic acid and/or derivatives thereof.
2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein step (b) is conducted biologically or chemically.
3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the derivatives thereof of methacrylic acid are methacrylic acid esters.
4. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the methacrylic acid esters are butyl methacrylates.
5. The process according to claim 3 , wherein the methacrylic acid esters are formed biologically by action of a transferase.
6. The process according to claim 5 , wherein the transferase is an alcohol acyltransferase.
7. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the alcohol acyltransferase is under EC group number 2.3.1.84.
8. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the alcohol acyltransferase is derived from a fruit origin.
9. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the alcohol acyltransferase acts in the presence of an alcohol.
10. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the process further comprises step (c) of converting methacrylic acid formed in step (b) into a methacrylic acid ester.
11. The process according to claim 10 , wherein step (c) is conducted biologically or chemically.
12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein step (c) is conducted biologically by the action of an esterase or hydrolase.
13. The process according to claim 1 , wherein methacrylyl-CoA is converted into methacrylic acid by the action of a thioesterase, transferase, synthetase, and/or a phosphotransacylase and a short chain fatty acid kinase.
14. The process according to claim 13 , wherein methacrylyl-CoA is converted into methacrylic acid by the action of a thioesterase.
15. The process according to claim 13 , wherein the thioesterase is acyl-CoA thioesterase 4HBT from Arthrobacter sp. Strain SU.
16. A process of producing methacrylic acid comprising the following steps:
(a) converting isobutyryl-CoA into methacrylyl-CoA by the action of a short chain acyl-CoA oxidase from Arthrobacter nicotianae ; and
(b) biologically converting methacrylyl-CoA into methacrylic acid by the action of a thioesterase, transferase, synthetase, and/or a phosphotransacylase and a short chain fatty acid kinase.
17. A method of preparing polymers or copolymers of methacrylic acid or methacrylic acid esters, comprising the steps of:
(i) preparation of methacrylic acid and/or derivatives thereof in accordance with claim 1 ;
(ii) optional esterification of the methacrylic acid prepared in (i) to produce the methacrylic acid ester;
(iii) polymerization of the methacrylic acid and/or derivatives thereof prepared in (i) and/or, if present, the ester prepared in (ii), optionally with one or more comonomers, to produce polymers or copolymers thereof.
18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the derivatives thereof of methacrylic acid are methacrylic acid esters.