Methods for synthesizing mevalonate

A method for synthesizing mevalonate via a mevalonate pathway in a host cell, wherein the method comprises:

• i) culturing a transformed host cell in a suitable medium, wherein the transformed host cell is a prokaryote that does not normally synthesize isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP) through the mevalonate pathway, and wherein the host cell comprises one or more nucleic acids heterologous to the host cell, wherein the one or more heterologous nucleic acids comprises nucleotide sequences that encode:
• (a) a eukaryotic enzyme that condenses two molecules of acetyl-CoA to acetoacetyl-CoA;
• (b) a eukaryotic enzyme that condenses acetoacetyl-CoA with acetyl-CoA to form HMG-CoA;
• and
• (c) a eukaryotic enzyme that converts HMG-CoA to mevalonate;
• wherein the host cell is not transformed with a heterologous nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding an enzyme that converts mevalonate into mevalonate 5-phosphate,
• said culturing providing for production of the enzymes, resulting in synthesis of said mevalonate by the transformed host cell.