Microorganisms and process for producing glycolic acid from pentoses and hexoses

A recombinant microorganism which exhibits

• i) a conversion activity from D-ribulose-5-phosphate into D-arabinose-5-phosphate catalysed by an enzyme consisting of a D-arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase which converts D-ribulose-5-phosphate into D-arabinose-5-phosphate, increased in comparison with the same, non-modified microorganism and obtained by increasing the number of copies of the gene coding for said D-arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase, by increasing the expression of the gene coding for said D-arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase and/or by modifying the sequence of the gene coding said D-arabinose-5-phosphate isomerase so as to obtain a form which is more active or more resistant to inhibition in said recombinant microorganism;
• ii) an aldolic cleavage activity from D-arabinose-5-phosphate into D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and glycolaldehyde catalysed by an enzyme consisting of a fructose-6-phosphate aldolase which catalyses the cleavage of D-arabinose-5-phosphate into D-glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate and glycolaldehyde, increased in comparison with the same, non-modified microorganism and obtained by increasing the number of copies of the gene coding for said fructose-6-phosphate aldolase, by increasing the expression of the gene coding for said fructose-6-phosphate aldolase and/or by modifying the sequence of the gene coding said fructose-6-phosphate aldolase so as to obtain a form which is more active or more resistant to inhibition in said recombinant microorganism;
• iii) an oxidation activity from glycolaldehyde into glycolate catalysed by an enzyme consisting of a glycolaldehyde dehydrogenase which oxidises glycolaldehyde into glycolate, increased in comparison with the same, non-modified microorganism and obtained by increasing the number of copies of the gene coding for said glycolaldehyde dehydrogenase, by increasing the expression of the gene coding for said glycolaldehyde dehydrogenase and/or by modifying the sequence of the gene coding said glycolaldehyde dehydrogenase so as to obtain a form which is more active or more resistant to inhibition in said recombinant microorganism;
• and
• iv) an oxidation activity from glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate into 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate catalysed by an enzyme consisting of a glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase which oxidises glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate into 1,3-bisphosphoglycerate, decreased in comparison with the same, non-modified microorganism and obtained by decreasing the expression of the gene coding said glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, by modifying the sequence of the gene coding for said glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase so as to achieve a reduced expression of the gene and/or the expression of an enzyme the activity of which is reduced, by using elements which destabilise the mRNA obtained after transcription of the gene coding said glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase and/or by inactivating the gene coding said glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in said recombinant microorganism,
• said recombinant microorganism producing glycolic acid from pentoses and hexoses.