Recombinant yeast capable of producing caffeic acid and/or ferulic acid

A recombinant yeast capable of producing caffeic acid, characterized in that it comprises:

• a heterologous gene coding for an enzyme of the hydrolase family capable of hydrolyzing the caffeoyl-shikimate bond to produce caffeic acid from caffeoyl-shikimate,
• said enzyme being a caffeoyl-shikimate esterase (CSE) selected from a CSE of Medicago truncatula having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 9, or a CSE of Arabidopsis thaliana having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 3;
• a heterologous gene coding for an enzyme capable of catalyzing the formation of the bond between coumaric acid and coenzyme A, said enzyme being a 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL), said 4CL being selected from:
• a 4CL gene of Populus tomentosa having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 10, or a 4CL gene of Arabidopsis thaliana having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 1, or a 4CL gene of Streptomyces coelicolor having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 12;
• or
• a heterologous gene coding for a mutated 4CL having reduced affinity for caffeic acid and increased specificity for p-coumaric acid, wherein the mutations are:
• in the case where the 4CL is the 4CL from Populus tomentosa having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 10, the amino acid:
• at position 236 is an Alanine (Y236A) or a Phenylalanine (Y236F);
• and/or
• at position 240 is an Alanine (S240A);
• and/or
• at position 305 is an Alanine (G305A);
• and/or
• at position 329 is an Alanine (G329A)
• in the case where the 4CL is the 4CL of Arabidopsis thaliana having an amino acid sequence corresponding to SEQ ID NO:
• 1, the amino acid:
• at position 264 is an Alanine (S264A);
• and/or
• at position 329 is an Alanine (G329A);
• and/or
• at position 353 is an Alanine (G353A).