Cargill Inc.

Dave A Hogsett

Hans H Liao

Eileen Spindler

Tanya Lipscomb

Brittany Prather

Steffen Schaffer

Michael David Lynch

Wendy Kathleen Ribble

Liv Reinecke

Katrin Grammann

Ron Evans

Jan Wolter

Catherine B Poor

Shelley Copley

Matthew Lipscomb

Michael Louie

Ronald J Evans

This invention relates to metabolically engineered microorganism strains, such as bacterial strains, in which there is an increased utilization of malonyl-CoA for production of a fatty acid or fatty acid derived product, wherein the modified microorganism produces fatty acyl-CoA intermediates via a malonyl-CoA dependent but malonyl-ACP independent mechanism.

Microorganisms and methods for the production of fatty acids and fatty acid derived products

A microbial cell is used for producing at least one fatty acid ester, wherein the cell is genetically modified to contain (i) at least one first genetic mutation that enables the cell to produce at least one fatty acid and/or acyl coenzyme A (CoA) thereof by increased enzymatic activity in the cell relative to the wild type cell of malonyl-CoA dependent and malonyl-ACP independent fatty acyl-CoA metabolic pathway, wherein the fatty acid contains at least 5 carbon atoms; and (ii) a second genetic mutation that increases the activity of at least one wax ester synthase in the cell relative to the wild type cell and the wax ester synthase has sequence identity of at least 50% to a polypeptide of SEQ ID NO: 1-8 and combinations thereof or to a functional fragment of any of the polypeptides for catalyzing the conversion of fatty acid and/or acyl coenzyme A thereof to the fatty acid ester.

Production of fatty acids esters

Growing community of inventors

Longmount, CO, United States of America

Dave A Hogsett