NOVELTY - Isolated polypeptide (A) comprising a sequence that is at least 70% (preferably 99%) identical to a fully defined sequence of 491 amino acids of SEQ ID NO: 89, as given in the specification (derived from Methanocaldococcus jannaschii), and having citramalate synthase (cimA) activity and at least one mutation at a residue corresponding to position 47, 126 or 204 of SEQ ID NO: 89, is new.    USE - (A) is useful for producing: recombinant microorganisms, including Escherichia, Corynebacterium, Lactobacillus, Lactococcus, Salmonella, Enterobacter, Enterococcus, Erwinia, Pantoea, Morganella, Pectobacterium, Proteus, Serratia, Shigella, Klebsiella, Citrobacter, Saccharomyces, Dekkera, Kluyveromyces or Pichia (preferably recombinant E. coli); and alcohol, which is 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol, isobutanol or 2-phenylethanol (all claimed).    ADVANTAGE - (I) produces: at least 2- to 20 times more ketobutyrate compared to a cell comprising a wild-type cimA protein; greater than 302 (preferably 695-2800) mg/l of 1-propanol; greater than 18 (preferably 22-400) mg/l of 1-butanol; greater than 525 (preferably greater than 1300) mg/l of 2-methyl-1-butanol; or 2- to 22-fold more 1-butanol or 1-propanol compared to a host cell comprising a wild-type cimA. (C2) permits: reduced ethanol production compared to a parental microorganism; a reduction or inhibition in the conversion of acetyl-CoA to ethanol; a reduction of an ethanol dehydrogenase, hence providing a reduced ethanol production in the microorganism; and elevated expression or activity of a 2-keto-acid decarboxylase and a citramalate synthase, when compared to a parental microorganism.    DETAILED DESCRIPTION - INDEPENDENT CLAIMS are also included for:    (1) a polynucleotide (P1) encoding (A);    (2) a vector comprising (P1);    (3) a recombinant host cell (C1) comprising (P1);    (4) a recombinant host cell (I) expressing (A);    (5) a recombinant microorganism (C2) producing an alcohol, which is 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol or 3-methyl-1-butanol, where the alcohol is produced from a metabolite comprising 2-keto acid, and where (C2) comprises an enzyme that catalyzes the condensation of pyruvate and acetyl coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA);    (6) a recombinant microorganism (C3) comprising elevated expression or activity of an acetohydroxy acid synthase, an acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase, a dihydroxy-acid dehydratase, a 2-keto-acid decarboxylase and an alcohol dehydrogenase, when compared to a parental microorganism, where (C3) comprises a citramalate synthase;    (7) a recombinant microorganism (C4) having increased citramalate synthase activity and comprising elevated expression or activity of an acetolactate synthase, an acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase, a dihydroxy-acid dehydratase, a 2-keto-acid decarboxylase and an alcohol dehydrogenase, when compared to a parental microorganism, and where the recombinant microorganism comprises at least one knockout or disruption of a gene encoding an enzyme, which is an ethanol dehydrogenase, a lactate dehydrogenase, a fumarate reductase, a phosphate acetyltransferase and/or a formate acetyltransferase, where the recombinant microorganism produces 1-propanol, 1-butanol, 2-methyl-1-butanol or 3-methyl-1-butanol;    (8) a recombinant microorganism (C5) having increased citramalate synthase activity and comprising elevated expression or activity of 2-isopropylmalate synthase, beta -isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, isopropylmalate isomerase and threonine dehydratase, when compared to a parental microorganism, where (C5) produces 1-butanol;    (9) a recombinant microorganism (C6) having increased citramalate synthase activity and comprising elevated expression or activity of alpha -isopropylmalate synthase, beta -isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, isopropylmalate isomerase and threonine dehydratase, when compared to a parental microorganism, where (C6) produces 1-propanol;    (10) a recombinant microorganism (C7) having increased citramalate synthase activity and comprising elevated expression or activity of threonine dehydratase, acetohydroxy acid synthase, acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase, dihydroxy-acid dehydratase, 2-keto-acid decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase, when compared to a parental microorganism, where (C7) produces 2-methyl-1-butanol;    (11) a recombinant microorganism (C8) having increased citramalate synthase activity and comprising elevated expression or activity of acetohydroxy acid synthase or acetolactate synthase, acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase, dihydroxy-acid dehydratase, 2-isopropylmalate synthase, isopropylmalate isomerase, beta -isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, 2-keto-acid decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase, when compared to a parental microorganism, where (C8) produces 3-methyl-1-butanol;    (12) a method of producing (C5) that converts a suitable substrate or metabolic intermediate to 1-butanol, comprising transforming a microorganism with (P1) and at least one recombinant polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising 2-isopropylmalate synthase, beta -isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, isopropylmalate isomerase and threonine dehydratase activities;    (13) a method of producing (C6) that converts a suitable substrate or metabolic intermediate to 1-propanol, comprising transforming a microorganism with (P1) and at least one recombinant polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising alpha -isopropylmalate synthase, beta -isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, isopropylmalate isomerase and threonine dehydratase activities;    (14) a method of producing (C7) that converts a suitable substrate or metabolic intermediate to 2-methyl-1-butanol, comprising transforming a microorganism with (P1) and at least one recombinant polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising threonine dehydratase, acetohydroxy acid synthase, acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase, dihydroxy-acid dehydratase, 2-keto-acid decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities;    (15) a method of producing (C8) that converts a suitable substrate or metabolic intermediate to 3-methyl-1-butanol, comprising transforming a microorganism with (P1) and at least one recombinant polynucleotide encoding a polypeptide comprising acetohydroxy acid synthase or acetolactate synthase, acetohydroxy acid isomeroreductase, dihydroxy-acid dehydratase, 2-isopropylmalate synthase, isopropylmalate isomerase, beta -isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, 2-keto-acid decarboxylase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities; and    (16) a method of producing an alcohol, comprising: providing any one of (C1)-(C8); culturing the microorganism in the presence of a suitable substrate or metabolic intermediate and under conditions suitable for converting the substrate to an alcohol; and purifying the alcohol.