Microorganisms and methods for the co-production of ethylene glycol and three carbon compounds

A recombinant microorganism capable of co-producing monoethylene glycol (MEG) and acetone from a feedstock comprising exogenous D-xylose, wherein the recombinant microorganism expresses one or more of the following:

• (a) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a D-tagatose 3-epimerase that catalyzes the conversion of D-xylulose to D-ribulose;
• (b) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a D-ribulokinase that catalyzes the conversion of D-ribulose from (a) to D-ribulose-1-phosphate;
• (c) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a D-ribulose-1-phosphate aldolase that catalyzes the conversion of D-ribulose-1-phosphate from (b) to glycolaldehyde and dihydroxyacetonephosphate (DHAP);
• (d) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a glycolaldehyde reductase that catalyzes the conversion of glycolaldehyde from (c) to MEG;
• (e) at least one exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a thiolase that catalyzes the conversion of acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA;
• (f) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an acetate:acetoacetyl-CoA transferase or hydrolase that catalyzes the conversion of acetoacetyl-CoA from (e) to acetoacetate;
• and/or
• (g) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an acetoacetate decarboxylase that catalyzes the conversion of acetoacetate from (f) to acetone;
• wherein the produced intermediate DHAP is converted to acetyl-CoA through the endogenous glycolysis pathway in the microorganism, and wherein MEG and acetone are co-produced.

The recombinant microorganism of claim, wherein the recombinant microorganism further comprises one or more modifications selected from the group consisting of:

• (a) a deletion, insertion, or loss of function mutation in a gene encoding a D-xylulose-5-kinase that catalyzes the conversion of D-xylulose to D-xylulose-5-phosphate;
• (b) a deletion, insertion, or loss of function mutation in a gene encoding a glycolaldehyde dehydrogenase that catalyzes the conversion of glycolaldehyde to glycolic acid;
• and
• (c) a deletion, insertion, or loss of function mutation in a gene encoding a lactate dehydrogenase that catalyzes the conversion of pyruvate to lactate.

A method of producing a recombinant microorganism that produces or accumulates MEG and acetone from a feedstock comprising exogenous D-xylose, comprising introducing into and/or overexpressing in the recombinant microorganism one or more of the following:

• (a) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a D-tagatose 3-epimerase that catalyzes the conversion of D-xylulose to D-ribulose;
• (b) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a D-ribulokinase that catalyzes the conversion of D-ribulose from (a) to D-ribulose-1-phosphate;
• (c) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a D-ribulose-1P aldolase that catalyzes the conversion of D-ribulose-1-phosphate from (b) to glycolaldehyde and dihydroxyacetonephosphate (DHAP);
• (d) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a glycolaldehyde reductase that catalyzes the conversion of glycolaldehyde from (c) to MEG;
• (e) at least one exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a thiolase that catalyzes the conversion of acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA;
• (f) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an acetate:acetoacetyl-CoA transferase or hydrolase that catalyzes the conversion of acetoacetyl-CoA from (e) to acetoacetate;
• and/or
• (g) at least one exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an acetoacetate decarboxylase that catalyzes the conversion of acetoacetate from (f) to acetone;
• wherein the produced intermediate DHAP is converted to acetyl-CoA through the endogenous glycolysis pathway in the microorganism, and wherein MEG and acetone are co-produced.