Patent ID: 7402415

Claim:
A method for the production of glycerol from a recombinant organism comprising: (i) transforming a suitable host cell with (a) an exogenous gene encoding a protein having glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity, and (b) an exogenous gene encoding a protein having glycerol-3-phosphate phosphatase activity, the suitable host cell having a disruption in either one or both of (a) an endogenous gene encoding a polypeptide having glycerol kinase activity, wherein the disruption prevents the expression of the active gene product; and (b) an endogenous gene encoding a polypeptide having glycerol dehydrogenase activity, wherein the disruption prevents the expression of active gene product; (ii) culturing the transformed host cell of (i) in the presence of at least one carbon source selected from the group consisting of monsaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharides, and single-carbon substrates, whereby glycerol is produced; and (iii) optionally recovering the glycerol produced in (ii), and wherein the suitable host cell is selected from the group consisting of bacteria, yeast and filamentous fungi.