Host cells and methods for producing fatty acid-derivatives with high branched-chain percentage

A method for producing a branched-chain acyl-acyl carrier protein (acyl-ACP), the method comprising:

• providing a transformed host cell comprising a nucleic acid encoding a branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase;
• a nucleic acid encoding a β-ketoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein] synthase III;
• a nucleic acid encoding a lipoyl ligase A;
• and wherein at least one of the nucleic acids is operably linked to a nucleic acid encoding an iron sulfur cluster chaperone;
• and culturing the transformed host cell in a culture medium comprising lipoic acid under conditions permitting the transformed host cell to produce a branched-chain acyl-ACP.

A method for producing specific branched-chain fatty acid species, the method comprising:

• providing a transformed host cell comprising a nucleic acid comprisinga sequence encoding a branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase;
• a nucleic acid comprisinga sequence encoding a branched-chain-specific β-ketoacyl-[acyl-carrier-protein]synthase III;
• and a nucleic acid encoding a lipoyl ligase A;
• and wherein the branched-chain-specific β-Ketoacyl-(acyl-carrier-protein) synthase III is selected from the group consisting of Staphylococcus aureus FabH (saFabH);
• Bacillus subtilis FabH2 (BSFabH2);
• Bacillus subtilis FabH (BsFabHI);
• and a Listeria monocytogenes FabH;
• and wherein at least one of the nucleic acids is operably linked to a nucleic acid encoding an iron sulfur cluster chaperone;
• culturing the transformed host cell in a culture medium comprising lipoic acid and an α-keto acid, wherein the transformed host cell produces a specific branched-chain fatty acid species.