Patent ID: 7195898

Claim:
A method for the production of p-hydroxybenzoate (PHBA) comprising: (i) contacting a transformed bacterial host cell with a medium containing (a) an aromatic organic substrate selected from the group consisting of p-cresol, p-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, p-hydroxybenzaldehyde, and aromatic compounds degradated by the toluene monooxygenase enzyme pathway, (b) at least one fermentable carbon substrate, and (c) a nitrogen source, the transformed bacterial host cell 1) lacking a p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase activity and 2) comprising genes encoding PcuR, p-cresol methylhydroxylase, and p-hydroxybenzoate dehydrogenase activities, each gene operably linked to suitable regulatory sequences; (ii) incubating the transformed bacterial host cell for a time sufficient to produce PHBA; and (iii) optionally recovering the p-hydroxybenzoate produced in (ii).