Enzymatic Biosynthesis Of Lactones

A method for enzymatically producing a lactone under physiological conditions, the method comprising:

• culturing a recombinant bacterium that heterologously expresses a YbgC protein and an acyl-CoA synthetase protein, in a culture medium having a neutral pH
• wherein
• the heterologously expressed YbgC protein converts an hydroxy acyl-CoA substrate to a lactone, and
• wherein
• the hydroxyl acyl-CoA substrate is a member selected from:
• a 4-hydroxy acyl-CoA;
• a 5-hydroxy acyl-CoA and a 6-hydroxy acyl-CoA, and
• wherein
• the heterologously expressed YbgC protein converts the 4-hydroxy acyl-CoA to a γ-lactone;
• the heterologously expressed YbgC protein converts the 5-hydroxy acyl-CoA to a δ-lactone and the heterologously expressed YbgC protein converts the 6-hydroxy acyl-CoA, to an ε-lactone.