Patent ID: 7923226

Claim:
A process for making 1,2,4-butanetriol, comprising the steps of (a) converting D-xylose to D-xylonic acid by contacting the D-xylose with a D-xylose dehydrogenase enzyme derived from Pseudomonas; (b) converting the D-xylonic acid from step (a) to 3-deoxy-glycero-pentulosonic acid by contacting the D-xylonic acid with a D-xylonate dehydratase enzyme derived from Escherichia; (c) converting 3-deoxy-glycero-pentulosonic acid from step (b) to 3,4-dihydroxybutanal by contacting the 3-deoxy-glycero-pentulosonic acid with a benzylformate decarboxylase enzyme derived from Pseudomonas, Erwina, Acetobacter, Zymobacter , or Sacchararomyces ; and (d) converting 3,4-dihydroxybutanal from step (c) to 1,2,4-butanetriol by contacting the 3,4-dihydroxybutanal with a dehydrogenase enzyme derived from an Escherichia.