The invention provides a non-naturally occurring microbial 
organism having a muconate pathway having at least one exogenous 
nucleic acid encoding a muconate pathway 
enzyme expressed in a sufficient amount to produce muconate. The muconate pathway including an 
enzyme selected from the group consisting of a beta-ketothiolase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA 
hydrolase, a beta-ketoadipyl-
CoA transferase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA ligase, a 2-fumarylacetate 
reductase, a 2-fumarylacetate 
dehydrogenase, a trans-3-hydroxy-4-hexendioate 
dehydratase, a 2-fumarylacetate aminotransferase, a 2-fumarylacetate aminating 
oxidoreductase, a trans-3-amino-4-hexenoate deaminase, a beta-ketoadipate 
enol-
lactone hydrolase, a muconolactone 
isomerase, a muconate cycloisomerase, a beta-ketoadipyl-CoA 
dehydrogenase, a 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA 
dehydratase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-
CoA transferase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA 
hydrolase, a 2,3-dehydroadipyl-CoA ligase, a muconate 
reductase, a 2-maleylacetate 
reductase, a 2-maleylacetate 
dehydrogenase, a cis-3-hydroxy-4-hexendioate 
dehydratase, a 2-maleylacetate aminoatransferase, a 2-maleylacetate aminating 
oxidoreductase, a cis-3-amino-4-hexendioate deaminase, and a muconate cis / trans 
isomerase. Other muconate pathway enzymes also are provided. Additionally provided are methods of producing muconate.