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

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-xylulose 1-kinase that catalyzes the conversion of D-xylulose to D-xylulose-1-phosphate;
• (b) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a D-xylulose-1-phosphate aldolase that catalyzes the conversion of D-xylulose-1-phosphate from (a) to glycolaldehyde and dihydroxyacetonephosphate (DHAP);
• (c) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a glycolaldehyde reductase that catalyzes the conversion of glycolaldehyde from (b) to MEG;
• (d) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding a thiolase that catalyzes the conversion of acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA;
• (e) 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 (d) to acetoacetate;
• and/or
• (f) at least one endogenous or exogenous nucleic acid molecule encoding an acetoacetate decarboxylase that catalyzes the conversion of acetoacetate from (e) 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.