A method for manufacturing 1,4-butanediol and chemically converting BDO to a downstream product, comprising: culturing a non-naturally occurring microbial organism, having a BDO pathway comprising at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a BDO pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce BDO, wherein said microbial organism is genetically modified to express exogenous 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA reductase, and wherein said microbial organism comprises: a BDO pathway comprising: (a) alpha-ketoglutarate decarboxylase; or succinyl-CoA synthetase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or glutamate:succinate semialdehyde transaminase and glutamate decarboxylase; (b) 4-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase; (c) 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA/acetyl-CoA transferase, or butyrate kinase and phosphotransbutyrylase; and (d) 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA reductase and 4-hydroxybutanal reductase; and wherein said microbial organism comprises disruption of a gene encoding an aerobic respiratory control regulatory system; expresses an exogenous NADH insensitive citrate synthase; expresses exogenous pyruvate dehydrogenase and expresses exogenous phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase; optionally isolating BDO; and chemically converting BDO to a downstream product. culturing a non-naturally occurring microbial organism, having a BDO pathway comprising at least one exogenous nucleic acid encoding a BDO pathway enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce BDO, wherein said microbial organism is genetically modified to express exogenous 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA reductase, and wherein said microbial organism comprises: a BDO pathway comprising: (a) alpha-ketoglutarate decarboxylase; or succinyl-CoA synthetase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or glutamate:succinate semialdehyde transaminase and glutamate decarboxylase; (b) 4-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase; (c) 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA/acetyl-CoA transferase, or butyrate kinase and phosphotransbutyrylase; and (d) 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA reductase and 4-hydroxybutanal reductase; and wherein said microbial organism comprises disruption of a gene encoding an aerobic respiratory control regulatory system; expresses an exogenous NADH insensitive citrate synthase; expresses exogenous pyruvate dehydrogenase and expresses exogenous phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase; a BDO pathway comprising: (a) alpha-ketoglutarate decarboxylase; or succinyl-CoA synthetase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or glutamate:succinate semialdehyde transaminase and glutamate decarboxylase; (b) 4-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase; (c) 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA/acetyl-CoA transferase, or butyrate kinase and phosphotransbutyrylase; and (d) 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA reductase and 4-hydroxybutanal reductase; and (a) alpha-ketoglutarate decarboxylase; or succinyl-CoA synthetase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or glutamate:succinate semialdehyde transaminase and glutamate decarboxylase; succinyl-CoA synthetase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase and CoA-dependent succinate semialdehyde dehydrogenase; or glutamate:succinate semialdehyde transaminase and glutamate decarboxylase; (b) 4-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase; (c) 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA/acetyl-CoA transferase, or butyrate kinase and phosphotransbutyrylase; and (d) 4-hydroxybutyryl-CoA reductase and 4-hydroxybutanal reductase; and wherein said microbial organism comprises disruption of a gene encoding an aerobic respiratory control regulatory system; expresses an exogenous NADH insensitive citrate synthase; expresses exogenous pyruvate dehydrogenase and expresses exogenous phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase; optionally isolating BDO; and chemically converting BDO to a downstream product.