Abstract: The invention relates to cells, nucleic acids, and enzymes, the use thereof for producing sophorolipids, and methods for producing sophorolipids.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of a protein homologous to a MeaB protein for increasing the enzymatic activity of a 3-hydroxycarboxylic acid-CoA mutase, a fusion protein comprising a 3-hydroxycarboxylic acid-CoA mutase and a protein sequence homologous to a MeaB protein and an enzymatic method for producing 2-hydroxyisobutryric acid.

Abstract: The invention relates to methods for producing aldehydes and the oxidation and reduction products thereof.

Abstract: The invention relates to a cell which has been genetically modified so as to be capable of producing more 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid or more polyhydroxyalkanoates containing 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid monomer units than its wild type, characterized in that 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid or polyhydroxyalkanoates containing 2-hydroxyisobutyric acid monomer units are produced via acetoacetyl-coenzyme A as intermediate and 3-hydroxybutyryl-coenzyme A as precursor.

Abstract: The invention relates to genetically engineered Candida tropicalis cells, use thereof and a method of production of ?-hydroxycarboxylic acids and ?-hydroxycarboxylic acid esters.

Abstract: The invention describes a process for preparing acetone starting from acetyl-coenzyme A comprising process steps A. enzymatic conversion of acetyl-CoA into acetoacetyl-CoA B. enzymatic conversion of acetoacetyl-CoA into acetoacetate and CoA and C. decarboxylation of acetoacetate to acetone and CO2, which is characterized in that the coenzyme A is not transferred in process step B to an acceptor molecule. In addition, process step B is surprisingly catalysed by enzymes of the classes of acyl-CoA thioesterase, acyl-CoA synthetase or acyl-CoA thiokinase. A completely novel metabolic pathway is concerned, because the enzymatic hydrolysis of acetoacetyl-CoA without simultaneous transfer of CoA to a receptor molecule has never previously been described for any microbial enzyme.

Abstract: The present invention provides genetically engineered microbial strains, in particular genetically engineered yeast strains, that produce at least 0.5 mg per g CDW of a sphingoid base according to Formula I or a salt or ester thereof. The present invention provides a method to obtain genetically engineered microbial strains producing at least 0.5 mg per g CDW of a sphingoid base according to Formula I or a salt or ester thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides microbial strains, in particular yeast strains, that produce at least 0.1 mg per g biomass dry weight of a sphingoid base. The present invention further provides a method to obtain sphingoid base-producing microbial strains comprising incubating a population of microbial cells in the presence of a suitable concentration of a toxin, selecting cells that are resistant against said toxin, and isolating cells out of the toxin-resistant cell population that produce at least 0.1 mg per g biomass dry weight of the sphingoid base of Formula I. Optionally, the method further comprises subjecting a population of toxin-resistant microbial cells that produce at least 0.1 mg per g biomass dry weight of the sphingoid base of Formula I to DNA-mediated transformation with a polynucleotide encoding an enzyme of the sphingolipid metabolic pathway. The present invention further provides a polypeptide having dihydroceramide desaturase activity obtainable form Pichia ciferrii.

Abstract: The present invention discloses a transformation system useful for the genetic engineering of the industrial yeast Pichia ciferrii. It describes the isolation of auxotrophic mutants of this yeast and nucleotide sequences able to complement the auxotrophic requirements of these strains. The transformation system is based on mutant Pichia ciferrii cells auxotrophic for uracil or lysine, which are transformed with plasmids containing the URA3 or LYS2 genes as selection markers. Novel URA3 and LYS2 genes are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleotide sequences from Coryneform bacteria which code for the MtrA and/or MtrB proteins and processes for the fermentative preparation of amino acids using bacteria in which the mtrA and/or mtrB genes are attenuated.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleotide sequences from Coryneform bacteria which code for the MtrA and/or MtrB proteins and processes for the fermentative preparation of amino acids using bacteria in which the mtrA and/or mtrB genes are attenuated.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleotide sequences from Coryneform bacteria which code for the MtrA and/or MtrB proteins and processes for the fermentative preparation of amino acids using bacteria in which the mtrA and/or mtrB genes are attenuated.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleotide sequences from Coryneform bacteria which code for the MtrA and/or MtrB proteins and processes for the fermentative preparation of amino acids using bacteria in which the mtrA and/or mtrB genes are attenuated.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleotide sequences from Coryneform bacteria which code for the MtrA and/or MtrB proteins and processes for the fermentative preparation of amino acids using bacteria in which the mtrA and/or mtrB genes are attenuated.

Abstract: The present invention provides nucleotide sequences from Coryneform bacteria which code for the MtrA and/or MtrB proteins and processes for the fermentative preparation of amino acids using bacteria in which the mtrA and/or mtrB genes are attenuated.