Patent ID: 8288137

Claim:
A recombinant Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) bacterium comprising a promoter operably linked to a nucleotide sequence encoding a polypeptide having acetyl-CoA synthetase enzyme activity, wherein the polypeptide has at least 95% sequence identity to an amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:28, SEQ ID NO:30, and SEQ ID NO:32, based on the Clustal V method of alignment and is classified as EC 6.2.1.1, wherein the promoter and nucleotide sequence are each independently native or non-native, wherein said recombinant E. coli has enhanced acetyl-CoA synthetase enzyme activity compared to a parent E. coli from which the recombinant E. coli was obtained, and said recombinant E. coli produces glycerol, 1,3-propanediol and/or 3-hydroxypropionic acid, and wherein if the promoter and nucleotide sequence are both native, said recombinant E. coli comprises at least two copies of the promoter and nucleotide sequence.