Microorganisms and methods for the production of oxygenated compounds from hexoses

A method of producing a recombinant microorganism that produces or accumulates glycolic acid (GA) from one or more exogenous hexose feedstocks via one or more pentose-5-phosphate intermediates, comprising:

• expressing in the recombinant microorganism one or more enzymes for the conversion of the one or more hexose feedstocks to the one or more pentose-5-phosphate intermediates, wherein the one or more pentose-5-phosphate intermediates is D-xylulose-5-phosphate and/or D-ribulose-5-phosphate;
• overexpressing in the recombinant microorganism one or more enzymes for the conversion of D-xylulose-5-phosphate and/or D-ribulose-5-phosphate to D-xylulose-1-phosphate or D-ribulose-1-phosphate, wherein the one or more overexpressed enzymes is one or more enzyme having phosphopentomutase activity;
• overexpressing in the recombinant microorganism at least one enzyme having transketolase activity or at least one enzyme having fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase activity;
• deleting or diminishing activity in the recombinant microorganism of one or more endogenous enzymes selected from glucose 6-phosphate-1-dehydrogenase (zwf), 6-phosphogluconolactonase (pgl), or 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (gnd);
• expressing in the recombinant microorganism a C2 pathway comprising one or more enzymes for the production of GA from glycolaldehyde;
• and
• expressing in the recombinant microorganism a C3 pathway comprising one or more enzymes for the production of GA derived from DHAP or pyruvate;
• and
• culturing the recombinant microorganism in a culture medium containing the one or more hexose feedstocks to produce or accumulate GA,
• wherein glycolaldehyde and DHAP (or pyruvate) are intermediates produced in the C2 pathway, and wherein GA is produced in both the C2 and C3 pathways.

A method of producing a recombinant microorganism that produces or accumulates glycolic acid (GA) and one or more co-products from one or more exogenous hexose feedstocks via one or more pentose-5-phosphate intermediates, comprising:

• expressing in the recombinant microorganism one or more enzymes for the conversion of the one or more hexose feedstocks to the one or more pentose-5-phosphate intermediates, wherein the one or more pentose-5-phosphate intermediates is D-xylulose-5-phosphate and/or D-ribulose-5-phosphate;
• overexpressing in the recombinant microorganism one or more enzymes for the conversion of D-xylulose-5-phosphate and/or D-ribulose-5-phosphate to D-xylulose-1-phosphate or D-ribulose-1-phosphate, wherein the one or more overexpressed enzymes is one or more enzyme having or phosphopentomutase activity;
• overexpressing in the recombinant microorganism at least one enzyme having transketolase activity or at least one enzyme having fructose-6-phosphate phosphoketolase activity;
• deleting or diminishing activity in the recombinant microorganism of one or more endogenous enzymes selected from glucose 6-phosphate-1-dehydrogenase (zwf), 6-phosphogluconolactonase (pgl), or 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (gnd);
• expressing in the recombinant microorganism a C2 pathway comprising one or more enzymes for the production of GA from glycolaldehyde;
• and
• expressing in the recombinant microorganism a C3 pathway comprising one or more enzymes for the production of one or more co-product derived from DHAP or pyruvate;
• and
• culturing the recombinant microorganism in a culture medium containing the one or more hexose feedstocks to produce or accumulate GA and one or more co-products, wherein glycolaldehyde and DHAP (or pyruvate) are intermediates produced in the C2 pathway, and wherein GA is produced in the C2 pathway and the one or more co-products is produced in the C3 pathway.