Metabolically engineered cells for the production of resveratrol or an oligomeric or glycosidically-bound derivative thereof

A genetically engineered micro-organism comprising an engineered operative metabolic pathway producing at least 0.44 to 0.53 micrograms of resveratrol per gram on a dry weight basis of the genetically engineered micro-organism when cultured for a time and under conditions wherein the micro-organism produces resveratrol, wherein the engineered operative metabolic pathway produces:

• a) 4-coumaric acid from L-phenylalanine catalysed by a phenylalanine ammonia lyase and a cinnamate 4-hydroxylase expressed in the micro-organism or from tyrosine catalysed by a phenylalanine ammonia lyase or a tyrosine ammonia lyase expressed in said micro-organism;
• b) 4-coumaroyl-CoA from 4-coumaric acid catalysed by a 4-coumarate-CoA ligase expressed in the micro-organism;
• and
• c) resveratrol is produced from the 4-coumaroyl-CoA by a resveratrol synthase expressed in the micro-organism;
• wherein the micro-organism is Saccharomyces cerevisiae that is cultured in a media with a carbon substrate and does not require an external source of phenylalanine, tyrosine, cinnamic acid or coumaric acid, and further comprises a more than a native expression level of an acetyl coenzymeA carboxylase (ACC1) enzyme.