Abstract: TPA-DHD can be produced by using, as a raw material, terephthalic acid salt that contains 0.5 times or more and twice or less the amount of potassium based on all of the terephthalic acids contained in the terephthalic acid salt in terms of moles and by using a microorganism expressing terephthalate 1,2-dioxygenase. Further, TPA-DHD can be converted into protocatechuic acid by TPA-DHD dehydrogenase and protocatechuic acid can be converted into gallic acid by para-hydroxybenzoate hydroxylase. In addition, by subjecting waste polyesters to heat treatment in an ethylene glycol solvent or 1-butanol solvent containing potassium hydroxide, such polyesters can be efficiently depolymerized, and potassium terephthalate suitable to chemical production by the microorganism can be prepared.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a bacterial strain that can decrease the amount of an intermediate Compound P converted into Metabolite M and efficiently accumulate Compound P in a medium that is not supplemented with Metabolite M or the final product generated from Metabolite M. The present invention provides a prokaryotic organism having all features (a) to (d) as defined in the specification so as to accumulate Compound P by regulating expression level of Enzyme X that converts Compound P as an intermediate metabolite into Metabolite M in a biosynthetic pathway in which Metabolite M indispensable for the growth is produced from a carbon source.