Patent ID: 7083953

Claim:
A method for the production of p-hydroxybenzoate comprising: (i) contacting a transformed bacterial host cell with a medium containing (a) an aromatic organic substrate toluene, 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 cell 1) lacking a p-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase activity 2) and comprising genes encoding toluene-4-monooxygenase, TmoX, PcuR, p-cresol methylhydroxylase, and p-hydroxybenzoate dehydrogenase each gene operably linked to suitable regulatory sequences; (ii) incubating the transformed host cell for a time sufficient to produce p-hydroxybenzoate; and (iii) optionally recovering the p-hydroxybenzoate produced in (ii).