Process of producing monoterpenes

A process of producing linalool in a host microorganism comprising the following steps:

• (a) providing a host microorganism genetically modified to express a bacterial monoterpene synthase (mTS), an Abies grandis geranyl diphosphate synthase, and a recombinant mevalonate-dependent (MVA) pathway comprising an E. coli acetoacetyl-CoA thiolase (AtoB), an S. aureus hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA synthase (HMGS), an S. aureus hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase (HMGR), an S. cerevisiae mevalonate kinase (MK), an S. Cerevisiae phosphomevalonate kinase (PMK), an S. cerevisiae phosphomevalonate decarboxylase (PMD) and an E. coli isopentenyldiphosphate isomerase (idi);
• (b) converting acetyl CoA into isopentenyl diphosphate (IPP) through the recombinant MVA pathway;
• (c) converting IPP and dimethylallyl diphosphate (DMAPP) into geranyl pyrophosphate (GPP) through catalysis by the geranyl diphosphate synthase;
• and
• (d) contacting GPP with said bacterial mTS to produce linalool,
• wherein the bacterial mTS comprises Streptomyces clavuligerus linalool synthase,
• wherein the host microorganism is a genetically modified bacterium comprising E. coli, and
• wherein the process results in a linalool yield of at least 300 mg Lorg−1.