Biological synthesis of difunctional hexanes and pentanes from carbohydrate feedstocks

Abstract

Provided herein are methods for the production of difunctional alkanes in microorganisms. Also provided are enzymes and nucleic acids encoding such enzymes, associated with the difunctional alkane production from carbohydrates feedstocks in microorganisms. The invention also provides recombinant microorganisms and metabolic pathways for the production of difunctional alkanes.

1 . A recombinant microorganism producing adipic acid from L-2,3-dihydrodipicolinate, the recombinant microorganism comprising a first recombinant nucleic acid encoding a first polypeptide that catalyzes a substrate to product conversion selected from the group consisting of:
 i) L-2,3-dihydrodipicolinate to Δ 1 -piperideine-2,6-dicarboxylate,   ii) Δ 1 -piperideine-2,6-dicarboxylate to Δ 1 -piperideine-2-carboxylate,   iii) Δ 1 -piperideine-2-carboxylate to L-pipecolate,   iv) L-pipecolate to Δ 1 -piperideine-6-carboxylate,   v) Δ 1 -piperideine-6-carboxylate to 2-aminoadipate-6-semialdehyde,   vi) 2-aminoadipate-6-semialdehyde to 2-aminoadipate,   vii) 2-aminoadipate to adipic acid,   viii) 2-aminoadipate-6-semialdehyde to adipate semialdehyde, and   ix) adipate semialdehyde to adipic acid.   
     
     
         2 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein the recombinant microorganism is a bacterial cell or a yeast cell. 
     
     
         3 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein the first recombinant nucleic acid molecule comprises an engineered nucleic acid having less than 95% identity with a natural nucleic acid. 
     
     
         4 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein the first polypeptide comprises an engineered polypeptide having less than 95% identity with a natural polypeptide. 
     
     
         5 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein the first polypeptide comprises an enzyme. 
     
     
         6 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1  wherein the the recombinant microorganism is  E. coli, C. glutanicum, B. flavum  or  B. lactofermentum.