The present invention relates to a recombinant microorganism comprising one or more nucleotide sequence(s) encoding: a polypeptide having ent-copalyl pyrophosphate synthase activity； a polypeptide having ent-Kaurene synthase activity； a polypeptide having ent-Kaurene oxidase activity； and a polypeptide having kaurenoic acid 13-hydroxylase activity, whereby expression of the nucleotide sequence(s) confer(s) on the microorganism the ability to produce at least steviol, and wherein said recombinant microorganism has been modified in its genome such that it results in a deficiency in the production of one or more of: (i)a phosphatase capable of acting on geranylgeranylpyrophosphate (GGPP) resulting in the formation of geranylgeraniol (GOH)； (ii) a phosphatase capable of acting on farnesylpyrophosphate (FPP) resulting in the formation of farnesol and nerolidol； (iii) an exo-1,3-β glucanase； (iv) a glycogen synthase (or a polypeptide that influences glycogen accumulation)； (v) a transcriptional repressor of hypoxic genes (ROX1) (vi) an NADPH oxidase； or (vii) a monocarboxylate transporter (JEN1) (viii) a polypeptide having activity as encoded for by the open reading frame, YJL064w； or (ix) a polypeptide The recombinant microorganism may also be capable of expressing one or more UDP-glucosyltransferases such that the microorganism is capable of producing one or more steviol glycosides.
