Production of propanols, alcohols, and polyols in consolidated bioprocessing organisms

Abstract

The present in provides for novel metabolic pathways leading to propanol, alcohol or polyol formation in a consolidated bioprocessing system (CBP), where lignocellulosic biomass is efficiently converted to such products. More specifically, the invention provides for a recombinant microorganism, where the microorganism expresses one or more native and/or heterologous enzymes; where the one or more enzymes function in one or more engineered metabolic pathways to achieve: (1) conversion of a carbohydrate source to 1,2-propanediol, isopropropanol, ethanol and/or glycerol; (2) conversion of a carbohydrate source to n-propanol and isopropanol; (3) conversion of a carbohydrate source to isopropanol and methanol; or (4) conversion of a carbohydrate source to propanediol and acetone; wherein the one or more native and/or heterologous enzymes is activated, upregulated or downregulated.

1 . A recombinant microorganism:
 wherein said microorganism expresses one or more native and/or heterologous enzymes;   wherein said one or more enzymes function in one or more engineered metabolic pathways to convert a carbohydrate source to 1,2-propanediol, isopropropanol and ethanol or to 1,2-propanediol, isopropropanol and glycerol; and   wherein said one or more native and/or heterologous enzymes is activated, upregulated or downregulated.   
     
     
         2 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein said carbohydrate source is lignocellulose. 
     
     
         3 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein said carbohydrate source is converted to dihydroxyacetone phosphate and glyceraldehyde phosphate. 
     
     
         4 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein one of said engineered metabolic pathways comprises the conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to 1-propanediol. 
     
     
         5 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein one of said engineered metabolic pathways comprises conversion of pyruvate to isopropanol. 
     
     
         6 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein one of said engineered metabolic pathway comprises conversion of pyruvate to ethanol. 
     
     
         7 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein one of said engineered metabolic pathway comprises conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to glycerol. 
     
     
         8 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein the engineered metabolic pathway that produces 1,2 propanediol comprises the following steps: (a) conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to methyglyoxal; (b) conversion of methylglyoxal to acetol or lactaldehyde; and (c) reduction of acetol or lactaldehyde to propanediol. 
     
     
         9 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein the engineered metabolic pathway that produces isopropanol comprises: (a) conversion of acetyl-CoA to acetate; (b) conversion of acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA; (c) conversion of acetoacetyl-CoA to acetoacetate; (d) conversion of acetoacetate to acetone; and (e) reduction of acetone to isopropanol. 
     
     
         10 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein the engineered metabolic pathway that produces ethanol comprises: (a) conversion of acetyl-CoA to ethanol. 
     
     
         11 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein the engineered metabolic pathway that produces glycerol comprises: (a) conversion of dihydroxyacetone phosphate to glycerol. 
     
     
         12 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein said microorganism produces 1,2-propanediol, isopropropanol and ethanol. 
     
     
         13 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 12 , wherein the combined production of 1,2-propanediol, isopropropanol and ethanol is governed by the stoichiometric equation 2C 6 H 12 O 6 →C 3 H 8 O+C 3 H 8 O 2 +C 2 H 6 O+4CO 2 +H 2 +3ATP. 
     
     
         14 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein said microorganism is a thermophilic or mesophilic bacterium. 
     
     
         15 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 14 , wherein said thermophilic or mesophilic bacterium is a species of the genera  Thermoanaerobacterium, Thermoanaerobacter, Clostridium, Geobacilliis, Saccharococcus, Paenibacillus, Bacillus, Caldicelhilosiruptor, Anaerocellum,  or  Anoxybacillus,    
     
     
         16 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 15 , wherein said microorganism is a bacterium selected from the group consisting of:  Thermoanaerobacterium thermosulfurigenes, Thermoanaerobacterium aotearoense, Thermoanaerobacterium polysaccharolyticum, Thermoanaerobacterium zeae, Thermoanaerobacterium xylanolyticiim, Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticiim, Thermoanaerobium brockii, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum, Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus, Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus, Thermoanaerobacter brocki, Clostridium thermocellum, Clostridium cellulolyticiim, Clostridium phytofermentans, Clostridium straminosolvens, Geobacillus thermoglucosidasiiis, Geobacillus stearothermophilus, Saccharococcus caldoxylosilyticus, Saccharocciis thermophilus, Paenibacillus campinasensis, Bacillus flavothermus, Anoxybacillus kamchatkensis, Anoxybacillus gonensis, Caldicellulosiruptor acetigenus, Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, Caldicellulosiruptor kristjanssonii, Caldicellulosiruptor owensensis, Caldicellulosiruptor lactoaceticus,  and  Anaerocellum thermophilum.    
     
     
         17 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 16 , wherein said microorganism is selected from the group consisting of  Clostridium thermocellum,  and  Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum.    
     
     
         18 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein said microorganism produces 1,2-propanediol, isopropropanol and glycerol. 
     
     
         19 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 18 , wherein the combined production of 1,2-propanediol, isopropropanol and ethanol is governed by the stoichiometric equation 2C 6 H 12 O 6 →C 3 H 8 O+C 3 H 8 O 2 +C 3 H 8 O 3 +3CO 2 +ATP. 
     
     
         20 . The recombinant microorganism of  claim 1 , wherein said microorganism is selected from the group consisting of  Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia pastoris, Yarrowia lipolytica, Hansemila polymorphs Phaffta rhodozyma, Candida ittliis, Arxula adeninivorans, Pichia stipitis, Debaryomyces hansenii, Debaryomyces polymorphic, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Candida albicans,  and  Schwanniomyces occidentalis.    
     
     
         21 - 105 . (canceled)