A non-naturally occurring microbial organism having a muconate pathway providing trans,trans -muconate or cis,trans -muconate, the microbial organism comprising at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a muconate pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce muconate, said muconate pathway comprising an enzyme selected from (i) the group consisting of a beta-ketothiolase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA hydrolase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA transferase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA ligase, a 2-fumarylacetate reductase, a 2-fumarylacetate dehydrogenase, a trans -3-hydroxy-4-hexendioate dehydratase, a 2-fumarylacetate aminotransferase, a 2-fumarylacetate aminating oxidoreductase, a trans -3-amino-4-hexenoate deaminase, a beta-ketoadipate enol-lactone hydrolase, a muconolactone isomerase, a muconate cycloisomerase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA dehydrogenase, a 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA dehydratase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA transferase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA hydrolase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA ligase, a muconate reductase, a 2-maleylacetate reductase, a 2-maleylacetate dehydrogenase, a cis -3-hydroxy-4-hexendioate dehydratase, a 2-maleylacetate aminoatransferase, a 2-maleylacetate aminating oxidoreductase, a cis -3-amino-4-hexendioate deaminase, and a muconate cis / trans isomerase; or (ii) the group consisting of a 4-hydroxy-2-ketovalerate aldolase, a 2-oxopentenoate hydratase, a 4-oxalocrotonate dehydrogenase, a 2-hydroxy-4-hexenedioate dehydratase, a 4-hydroxy-2-oxohexanedioate oxidoreductase, a 2,4-dihydroxyadipate dehydratase (acting on 2-hydroxy), a 2,4-dihydroxyadipate dehydratase (acting on 4-hydroxyl group) and a 3-hydroxy-4-hexenedioate dehydratase; or (iii) the group consisting of an HODH aldolase, an OHED hydratase, an OHED decarboxylase, an HODH formate-lyase, an HODH dehydrogenase, an OHED formate-lyase, an OHED dehydrogenase, a 6-OHE dehydrogenase, a 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA dehydratase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA hydrolase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA transferase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA ligase, and a muconate reductase; or (iv) the group consisting of a lysine aminotransferase, a lysine aminating oxidoreductase, a 2-aminoadipate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, a 2-aminoadipate deaminase, a muconate reductase, a lysine-2,3-aminomutase, a 3,6-diaminohexanoate aminotransferase, a 3,6-diaminohexanoate aminating oxidoreductase, a 3-aminoadipate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, and a 3-aminoadipate deaminase. (i) the group consisting of a beta-ketothiolase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA hydrolase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA transferase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA ligase, a 2-fumarylacetate reductase, a 2-fumarylacetate dehydrogenase, a trans -3-hydroxy-4-hexendioate dehydratase, a 2-fumarylacetate aminotransferase, a 2-fumarylacetate aminating oxidoreductase, a trans -3-amino-4-hexenoate deaminase, a beta-ketoadipate enol-lactone hydrolase, a muconolactone isomerase, a muconate cycloisomerase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA dehydrogenase, a 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA dehydratase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA transferase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA hydrolase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA ligase, a muconate reductase, a 2-maleylacetate reductase, a 2-maleylacetate dehydrogenase, a cis -3-hydroxy-4-hexendioate dehydratase, a 2-maleylacetate aminoatransferase, a 2-maleylacetate aminating oxidoreductase, a cis -3-amino-4-hexendioate deaminase, and a muconate cis / trans isomerase; or (ii) the group consisting of a 4-hydroxy-2-ketovalerate aldolase, a 2-oxopentenoate hydratase, a 4-oxalocrotonate dehydrogenase, a 2-hydroxy-4-hexenedioate dehydratase, a 4-hydroxy-2-oxohexanedioate oxidoreductase, a 2,4-dihydroxyadipate dehydratase (acting on 2-hydroxy), a 2,4-dihydroxyadipate dehydratase (acting on 4-hydroxyl group) and a 3-hydroxy-4-hexenedioate dehydratase; or (iii) the group consisting of an HODH aldolase, an OHED hydratase, an OHED decarboxylase, an HODH formate-lyase, an HODH dehydrogenase, an OHED formate-lyase, an OHED dehydrogenase, a 6-OHE dehydrogenase, a 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA dehydratase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA hydrolase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA transferase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA ligase, and a muconate reductase; or (iv) the group consisting of a lysine aminotransferase, a lysine aminating oxidoreductase, a 2-aminoadipate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, a 2-aminoadipate deaminase, a muconate reductase, a lysine-2,3-aminomutase, a 3,6-diaminohexanoate aminotransferase, a 3,6-diaminohexanoate aminating oxidoreductase, a 3-aminoadipate semialdehyde dehydrogenase, and a 3-aminoadipate deaminase.