Patent ID: 7960152

Claim:
A recombinant bacterium that expresses proteins comprising: (a) xylose specific reductase, wherein the xylose specific reductase is a Pichia stipitis reductase with Ser233Pro and Phe286Leu mutations; (b) L-arabitol dehydrogenase or ribitol dehydrogenase or both; and (c) L-xylulose reductase; that have a biochemical activity that produces xylitol from substrates comprising D-xylose; or L-arabinose; or L-arabinose and D-xylose, such that the recombinant bacterium produces and accumulates xylitol, and accumulates no substantial amount of L-arabitol; wherein the xylose reductase protein, or L-arabitol dehydrogenase protein, or ribitol dehydrogenase protein, or L-xylulose reductase protein, or a combination thereof are expressed from a recombinant polynucleotide.