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AssigneeButamax(Tm) Advanced Biofuels LLC
InventorsKATHARINE J. GIBSON, Arthur Leo Kruckeberg, Lori Ann Maggio-Hall, Mark J. Nelson, Ranjan Patnaik
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The invention relates generally to the field of industrial microbiology and butanol production. More specifically, the invention relates methods of reducing 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methyl butyrate (DHMB) in butanol production. DHMB can be reduced by inhibiting the reduction of acetolactate to DHMB, for example, by knocking out enzymes that catalyze the reduction or by removing DHMB during or after fermentation. Yeast strains, compositions, and methods for reducing DHMB and increasing butanol yield are provided.
A recombinant yeast comprising a biosynthetic pathway capable of converting pyruvate to acetolactate, wherein said yeast produces less than 0.01 moles 2,3-dihydroxy-2-methyl butyrate (DHMB) per mole of sugar consumed.
A recombinant yeast comprising a biosynthetic pathway capable of converting pyruvate to acetolactate, wherein said yeast produces DHMB at a rate of less than about 1.0 mM/hour.
A recombinant yeast comprising a biosynthetic pathway capable of converting pyruvate to acetolactate, wherein said yeast produces an amount of 2,3-dihydroxy-3-isovalerate (DHIV) that is at least about 1.5 times the amount of DHMB produced.
A recombinant yeast comprising a heterologous biosynthetic pathway capable of converting pyruvate to acetolactate, wherein said yeast comprises reduced or eliminated acetolactate reductase activity.
A method for the production of butanol comprising:
A method of identifying a gene involved in DHMB production comprising:
A method of identifying a gene involved in DHMB production comprising:
A composition comprising a i) recombinant yeast capable of producing butanol, ii) butanol, and iii) no more than about 0.5 mM DHMB.
A method for the production of butanol comprising:
A method for the production of butanol comprising:
A method for increasing ketol-acid reductoisomerase (KARI) activity comprising a) providing a composition comprising acetolactate, a KARI enzyme, and an acetolactate reductase enzyme and b) decreasing DHMB levels.
A method for increasing dihydroxyacid dehydratase (DHAD) activity comprising a) providing a composition comprising dihydroxyisovalerate (DHIV) and a DHAD enzyme and b) decreasing DHMB levels.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.