Provided are metabolically improved microorganisms characterized by increased ketoacid flux compared to wild-type organisms and comprising at least one polynucleotide encoding an enzyme which, when expressed, elicits higher amounts of chemical products compared to wild-type organisms generate. The recombinant microorganisms are used to produce a wide variety of chemical compositions from various nitrogen-containing biomass compositions and other carbon sources. More specifically, provided herein are methods for the production of alcohol, acetaldehyde, acetic acid, isobutyraldehyde, isobutyric acid, n-butyraldehyde, n-butyric acid, 2-methyl-1 -butyraldehyde, 2-methyl-1-butyric acid, 3-methyl-1-butyraldehyde, 3-methyl-1-butyric acid, ammonia, ammonium, amino acid, 2,3-butanediol, 1, 4-butanediol, 2-methyl-1,4-butanediol, 2-methyl-1,4-butanediamine, isobutene, itaconate, acetoin, acetone, isobutene, 1,5 -Diaminopentane, L-lactic acid, D-lactic acid, shikimic acid, mevalonic acid, polyhydroxybutyric acid (PHB), isoprenoid, fatty acid, homoalanine, 4-aminobutyric acid (GABA ), succinic acid, malic acid, citric acid, adipic acid, p-hydroxy-cinnamic acid, tetrahydrofuran, 3-methyl-tetrahydrofuran, gamma-butyrolactone, pyrrolidone, n-methylpyrrolidone, aspartic acid, lysine acid, cadaverine, 2-ketoadipate, and S-adenosyl-methionine (SAM).