Patent ID: 8465952

Claim:
A method for producing methionine, comprising, a) culturing a microorganism that produces and releases O-acetylhomoserine, wherein the microorganism is characterized by the following: i) a homoserine O-acetyltransferase activity (EC2.3.1.31) is introduced and enhanced by the integration of a gene from Deinococcus radiodurans that encodes homoserine O-acetyltransferase; and ii) an aspartokinase or homoserine dehydrogenase activity (EC2.7.2.4 or 1.1.1.3) is enhanced, but one or more of endogenous cystathionine gamma synthase, endogenous O-succinylhomoserine sulfhydrylase, and endogenous O-acetylhomoserine sulfhydrylase activities are reduced, inhibited or inactivated, b) producing methionine from the released O-acetylhomoserine.