| abstract |
There is provided a microbial cell for producing at least one omega-functionalized carboxylic acid ester from at least one alkane, wherein the cell is genetically modified to increase the expression relative to the wild type cell of n(i) Enzyme E 1 capable of converting the alkane to the corresponding 1-alkanol; n(ii) Enzyme E 2 capable of converting the 1-alkanol of (i) to the corresponding 1-alkanal; n(iii) Enzyme E 3 capable of converting the 1-alkanal of (ii) to the corresponding alkanoic acid; n(iv) Enzyme E 4 capable of converting the alkanoic acid of (iii) to the corresponding alkanoic acid ester; and n(iv) Enzyme E 5 capable of converting the alkanoic acid ester of (iv) to the corresponding omega-hydroxy-alkanoic acid ester, nand wherein the cell does not comprise a genetic modification that increases the expression relative to the wild type cell of at least one of the following enzymes E 20 - E 24 selected from the group consisting of: n- E 20 Acyl-ACP thioesterase, of EC 3.1.2.14 or EC 3.1.2.22, n- E 21 Acyl-CoA thioesterase, of EC 3.1.2.2, EC 3.1.2.18, EC 3.1.2.19, EC 3.1.2.20 or EC 3.1.2.22, n- E 22 Acyl-CoA:ACP transacylase, n- E 23 Polyketide synthase, and n- E 24 Hexanoic acid synthase |