Patent ID: 8003356

Claim:
A method for the production of para-hydroxycinnamic acid comprising: (i) providing an E. coli host cell which: a) overproduces tyrosine when grown with a fermentable carbon substrate; and b) comprises an exogenous gene encoding a polypeptide having tyrosine ammonia lyase activity operably linked to suitable regulatory sequences wherein the polypeptide comprises the amino acid sequence as set forth in SEQ ID NO:2; (ii) contacting the E. coli host cell of (i) with a fermentable carbon substrate in a growth medium at physiological pH such that tyrosine accumulates in the growth medium; (iii) raising the pH of the growth medium to a pH of about 9 to a pH of about 10 such that tyrosine is converted to para-hydroxycinnamic acid, which accumulates to a concentration of at least 4.5 g/L; and (iv) optionally recovering said para-hydroxycinnamic acid.