The deletion of several key genes for glycogen synthesis or in SAM decarboxy pathway could greatly improve the SAM production in S. cerevisiae.
Combined with the overexpression of SAM2 and pseudo-exponential feeding of glucose, a high SAM productivity (12.47 g/L) was achieved in the bench-top fermenters.
It was found that low ergosterol content in ZJU001, which had been evolved long time, was responsible for no change of SAM production after the disruption of ERG4 or ERG6.