Isoamyl Acetate

Isoamyl acetate is a commercially important flavor compound formed in sake yeast. It is formed by the combination of acetyl-CoA and isoamyl alcohol, via the enzyme alcohol acetyl transferase (AAT); in our work, the acetyl-CoA present in the metabolic pathways of E. coli is combined with exogenous isoamyl alcohol taken up by the cells to produce isoamyl acetate. The addition of a plasmid overexpressing pantothenate kinase increases the acetyl-CoA pool when a competing pathway leading to acetate is deleted (ref 10).

In C. acetobutylicum, the alcohol acetyl transferase ATF2 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae can also be used to convert isoamyl alcohol and acetyl-CoA to isoamyl acetate (ref 25).

The effects of manipulating CoA pools and the use of various acyl-CoA transferases in making a variety of esters is of further interest.