Ethanol fermentation by nystatin-resistant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Nystatin-resistant mutants of haploid and polyploid strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated by plating on gradient plates with increasing nystatin concentrations (60–3000 U/ml). Some of the mutants were defective in ergosterol biosynthesis, and produced zymosterol and cholestatetraenol-like sterols. Those mutants which do not form ergosterol produce less ethanol than the parent strains. They also had lower viability during fermentation of glucose solutions (8–13% vs. 33–47%). This became more pronounced in fermentations of higher concentrations of glucose. A nystatin-resistant but ergosterol-forming mutant had a similar fermentation capacity to the parent strain.     

Ethanol fermentation by nystatin-resistant strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Nystatin-resistant mutants of haploid and polyploid strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae were isolated by plating on gradient plates with increasing nystatin concentrations (60-3000 U/ml). Some of the mutants were defective in ergosterol biosynthesis, and produced zymosterol and cholestatetraenol-like sterols. Those mutants which do not form ergosterol produce less ethanol than the parent strains. They also had lower viability during fermentation of glucose solutions (8-13% vs. 33-47%). This became more pronounced in fermentations of higher concentrations of glucose. A nystatin-resistant but ergosterol-forming mutant had a similar fermentation capacity to the parent strain.     

Xylulose fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and xylose-fermenting yeast strains

Xylulose fermentation by four strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and two strains of xylose-fermenting yeasts, Pichia stipitis CBS 6054 and Candida shehatae NJ 23, was compared using a mineral medium at a cell concentration of 10 g (dry weight)/l. When xylulose was the sole carbon source and fermentation was anaerobic, S. cerevisiae ATCC 24860 and CBS 8066 showed a substrate consumption rate of 0.035 g g cells^–1 h^–1 compared with 0.833 g g cells^–1 h^–1 for glucose. Bakers' yeast and S. cerevisiae isolate 3 consumed xylulose at a much lower rate although they fermented glucose as rapidly as the ATCC and the CBS strains. While P. stipitis CBS 6054 consumed both xylulose and glucose very slowly under anaerobic conditions, C. shehatae NJ 23 fermented xylulose at a rate of 0.345 g g cells^–1 h^–1, compared with 0.575 g g cells^–1 h^–1 for glucose. For all six strains, the addition of glucose to the xylulose medium did not enhance the consumption of xylulose, but increased the cell biomass concentrations. When fermentation was performed under oxygen-limited conditions, less xylulose was consumed by S. cerevisiae ATCC 24860 and C. shehatae NJ 23, and 50%–65% of the assimilated carbon could not be accounted for in the products determined.     

In silico aided metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for improved bioethanol production

In silico genome-scale cell models are promising tools for accelerating the design of cells with improved and desired properties. We demonstrated this by using a genome-scale reconstructed metabolic network of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to score a number of strategies for metabolic engineering of the redox metabolism that will lead to decreased glycerol and increased ethanol yields on glucose under anaerobic conditions. The best-scored strategies were predicted to completely eliminate formation of glycerol and increase ethanol yield with 10%. We successfully pursued one of the best strategies by expressing a non-phosphorylating, NADP(+)-dependent glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase in S. cerevisiae. The resulting strain had a 40% lower glycerol yield on glucose while the ethanol yield increased with 3% without affecting the maximum specific growth rate. Similarly, expression of GAPN in a strain harbouring xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase led to an improvement in ethanol yield by up to 25% on xylose/glucose mixtures.     

Design and construction of acetyl-CoA overproducing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Saccharomyces cerevisiae has increasingly been engineered as a cell factory for efficient and economic production of fuels and chemicals from renewable resources. Notably, a wide variety of industrially important products are derived from the same precursor metabolite, acetyl-CoA. However, the limited supply of acetyl-CoA in the cytosol, where biosynthesis generally happens, often leads to low titer and yield of the desired products in yeast. In the present work, combined strategies of disrupting competing pathways and introducing heterologous biosynthetic pathways were carried out to increase acetyl-CoA levels by using the CoA-dependent n-butanol production as a reporter. By inactivating ADH1 and ADH4 for ethanol formation and GPD1 and GPD2 for glycerol production, the glycolytic flux was redirected towards acetyl-CoA, resulting in 4-fold improvement in n-butanol production. Subsequent introduction of heterologous acetyl-CoA biosynthetic pathways, including pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH), ATP-dependent citrate lyase (ACL), and PDH-bypass, further increased n-butanol production. Recombinant PDHs localized in the cytosol (cytoPDHs) were found to be the most efficient, which increased n-butanol production by additional 3 fold. In total, n-butanol titer and acetyl-CoA concentration were increased more than 12 fold and 3 fold, respectively. By combining the most effective and complementary acetyl-CoA pathways, more than 100 mg/L n-butanol could be produced using high cell density fermentation, which represents the highest titer ever reported in yeast using the clostridial CoA-dependent pathway.     

Influence of killer strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on wine fermentation

The effect of killer strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on the growth of sensitive strains during must fermentation was studied by using a new method to monitor yeast populations. The capability of killer yeast strains to eliminate sensitive strains depends on the initial proportion of killer yeasts, the susceptibility of sensitive strains, and the treatment of the must. In sterile filtered must, an initial proportion of 2-6% of killer yeasts was responsible for protracted fermentation and suppression of isogenic sensitive strains. A more variable initial proportion was needed to get the same effect with non-isogenic strains. The suspended solids that remain in the must after cold-settling decreased killer toxin effect. The addition of bentonite to the must avoided protracted fermentation and the suppression of sensitive strains; however, the addition of yeast dietary nutrients with yeast cell walls did not, although it decreased fermentation lag.     

Microsatellite PCR profiling of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains during wine fermentation

AIMS: Use of microsatellite PCR to monitor populations of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains during fermentation of grape juice. METHOD AND RESULTS: Six commercial wine strains of S. cerevisiae were screened for polymorphism at the SC8132X locus using a modified rapid PCR identification technique. The strains formed four distinct polymorphic groups that could be readily distinguished from one another. Fermentations inoculated with mixtures of three strains polymorphic at the SC8132X locus were monitored until sugar utilization was complete, and all exhibited a changing population structure throughout the fermentation. CONCLUSIONS: Rapid population quantification demonstrated that wine fermentations are dynamic and do not necessarily reflect the initial yeast population structure. One or more yeast strains were found to dominate at different stages of the fermentation. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: The population structure of S. cerevisiae during mixed culture wine fermentation is dynamic and could modify the chemical composition and flavour profile of wine.     

Enhanced ethanol fermentation by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with high spermidine contents

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering - Construction of robust and efficient yeast strains is a prerequisite for commercializing a biofuel production process. We have demonstrated that high...     

Evaluation of industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains as the chassis cell for second-generation bioethanol production

To develop a suitable Saccharomyces cerevisiae industrial strain as a chassis cell for ethanol production using lignocellulosic materials, 32 wild-type strains were evaluated for their glucose fermenting ability, their tolerance to the stresses they might encounter in lignocellulosic hydrolysate fermentation and their genetic background for pentose metabolism. The strain BSIF, isolated from tropical fruit in Thailand, was selected out of the distinctly different strains studied for its promising characteristics. The maximal specific growth rate of BSIF was as high as 0.65 h⁻¹ in yeast extract peptone dextrose medium, and the ethanol yield was 0.45 g g⁻¹ consumed glucose. Furthermore, compared with other strains, this strain exhibited superior tolerance to high temperature, hyperosmotic stress and oxidative stress; better growth performance in lignocellulosic hydrolysate; and better xylose utilization capacity when an initial xylose metabolic pathway was introduced. All of these results indicate that this strain is an excellent chassis strain for lignocellulosic ethanol production.     

Direct bioethanol production from brown macroalgae by co-culture of two engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

A co-culture platform for bioethanol production from brown macroalgae was developed, consisting of two types of engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains; alginate- and mannitol-assimilating yeast (AM1), and cellulase-displaying yeast (CDY). When the 5% (w/v) brown macroalgae Ecklonia kurome was used as the sole carbon source for this system, 2.1 g/L of ethanol was produced, along with simultaneous consumption of alginate, mannitol, and glucans.     

Physiological behaviour of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in aerated fed-batch fermentation for high level production of bioethanol

Saccharomyces cerevisiae was able to produce 20% (v/v) of ethanol in 45 h in a fully aerated fed-batch process recently developed in our laboratory. A notable feature of this process was a production phase uncoupled to growth, the extent of which was critical for high-level ethanol production. As the level of production was found to be highly variable, we investigated on this high variability by means of a detailed physiological analysis of yeast cells in two fed-batch fermentations showing the most extreme behaviour. We found a massive leakage of intracellular metabolites into the growth medium which correlated with the drop of cell viability. The loss of viability was also found to be proportional to the reduction of plasma membrane phospholipids. Finally, the fed-batch processes with the longest uncoupling phase were characterized by induction of storage carbohydrates at the onset of this phase, whereas this metabolic event was not seen in processes with a short uncoupling phase. Taken together, our results suggested that reproducible high-level bioethanol production in aerated fed-batch processes may be linked to the ability of yeast cells to impede ethanol toxicity by triggering a metabolic remodelling reminiscent to that of cells entering a quiescent GO/G1 state.     

Xylulose fermentation by mutant and wild-type strains of Zygosaccharomyces and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Anaerobic xylulose fermentation was compared in strains of Zygosaccharomyces and Saccharomyces cerevisiae, mutants and wild-type strains to identify host-strain background and genetic modifications beneficial to xylose fermentation. Overexpression of the gene (XKS1) for the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) enzyme xylulokinase (XK) increased the ethanol yield by almost 85% and resulted in ethanol yields [0.61 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹] that were close to the theoretical yield [0.67 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹]. Likewise, deletion of gluconate 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (gnd1Δ) in the PPP and deletion of trehalose 6-phosphate synthase (tps1Δ) together with trehalose 6-phosphate phosphatase (tps2Δ) increased the ethanol yield by 30% and 20%, respectively. Strains deleted in the promoter of the phosphoglucose isomerase gene (PGI1) – resulting in reduced enzyme activities – increased the ethanol yield by 15%. Deletion of ribulose 5-phosphate (rpe1Δ) in the PPP abolished ethanol formation completely. Among non-transformed and parental strains S. cerevisiae ENY. WA-1A exhibited the highest ethanol yield, 0.47 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹. Other non-transformed strains produced mainly arabinitol or xylitol from xylulose under anaerobic conditions. Contrary to previous reports S. cerevisiae T23D and CBS 8066 were not isogenic with respect to pentose metabolism. Whereas, CBS 8066 has been reported to have a high ethanol yield on xylulose, 0.46 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹ (Yu et al. 1995), T23D only formed ethanol with a yield of 0.24 C-mmol (C-mmol consumed xylulose)⁻¹. Strains producing arabinitol did not produce xylitol and vice versa. However, overexpression of XKS1 shifted polyol formation from xylitol to arabinitol. Received: 2 July 1999 / Accepted in revised form: 12 October 1999     

Relationship between thermal behaviour,fermentation performance and fatty acid composition in two strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Two Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains, one specifically of S. cerevisiae and another belonging to the physiological race S. uvarum, exhibited associative and dissociate thermal profiles, respectively. The S. cerevisiae subsp. uvarum strain, which displayed the dissociative profile, was characterized by a higher aptitude for fermenting glucose in a superoptimal temperature range as well as by a lower fatty acid unsaturation degree. On the other hand, both strains exhibited a similar fatty acid composition modulation pattern with regard to temperature: the unsaturation level presented two relative maxima at 15 and 40° C. However, on the basis of Central Composite Design results, supplementation with an oleic acid source under semi-anaerobic conditions did not improve the fermentative performances in either strain. the modelling of fermentation rate in relation to certain variables indicated that the fermentative performance at superoptimal temperatures, and particularly the optimal temperature (T _opt) and maximal temperature (T _max) of the strain displaying a dissociative profile, could be increased by acting on medium composition. Correspondence to: M. E. Guerzoni     

Optimized fermentation of grape juice by laboratory strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Laboratory strains of yeast ( Saccharomyces cerevisiae ) based on S288C ferment grape juice relatively poorly. We show that slow fermentation appears to be inherent to this strain, because the original S288C isolate shows fermentation similar to current laboratory isolates. We demonstrate further that some auxotrophic mutations in the laboratory strain show reduced rates of fermentation in grape juice, with lysine auxotrophs particularly impaired compared with isogenic Lys⁺ strains. Supplementing lysine at a 10-fold higher concentration than recommended allowed yeast cultures to reach higher final cell densities and restored the fermentation rate of auxotrophic strains to those of the corresponding wild-type strains. However, even with the additional supplementation, the fermentation rates of S288C strains were still slower than those of a commercial wine yeast strain. Conditions were developed that enable auxotrophic laboratory strains derived from S288C to ferment grape juice to completion with high efficiency on a laboratory scale. Fermentation in media based on grape juice will allow the suite of molecular genetic tools developed for these laboratory strains to be used in investigations of complex ferment characteristics and products.     

Contribution of winery-resident Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains to spontaneous grape must fermentation

The origin of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains that are responsible for spontaneous grape must fermentation was investigated in a long-established industrial winery by means of two different approaches. First, seven selected components of the analytical profiles of the wines produced by 58 strains of S. cerevisiae isolated from different sites and phases of the production cycle of a Grechetto wine were subjected to Principal Components Analysis. Secondly, the same S. cerevisiae isolates underwent PCR fingerprinting by means of delta primers. The results obtained by both methods demonstrate unequivocally that under real vinification conditions, the S. cerevisiae strains colonising the winery surfaces are the ones that carry out the natural must fermentation.     

Fermentation performance of engineered and evolved xylose-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Lignocellulose hydrolysate is an abundant substrate for bioethanol production. The ideal microorganism for such a fermentation process should combine rapid and efficient conversion of the available carbon sources to ethanol with high tolerance to ethanol and to inhibitory components in the hydrolysate. A particular biological problem are the pentoses, which are not naturally metabolized by the main industrial ethanol producer Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Several recombinant, mutated, and evolved xylose fermenting S. cerevisiae strains have been developed recently. We compare here the fermentation performance and robustness of eight recombinant strains and two evolved populations on glucose/xylose mixtures in defined and lignocellulose hydrolysate-containing medium. Generally, the polyploid industrial strains depleted xylose faster and were more resistant to the hydrolysate than the laboratory strains. The industrial strains accumulated, however, up to 30% more xylitol and therefore produced less ethanol than the haploid strains. The three most attractive strains were the mutated and selected, extremely rapid xylose consumer TMB3400, the evolved C5 strain with the highest achieved ethanol titer, and the engineered industrial F12 strain with by far the highest robustness to the lignocellulosic hydrolysate.     

Changes of Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell membrane components and promotion to ethanol tolerance during the bioethanol fermentation

During bioethanol fermentation process, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cell membrane might provide main protection to tolerate accumulated ethanol, and S. cerevisiae cells might also remodel their membrane compositions or structure to try to adapt to or tolerate the ethanol stress. However, the exact changes and roles of S. cerevisiae cell membrane components during bioethanol fermentation still remains poorly understood. This study was performed to clarify changes and roles of S. cerevisiae cell membrane components during bioethanol fermentation. Both cell diameter and membrane integrity decreased as fermentation time lasting. Moreover, compared with cells at lag phase, cells at exponential and stationary phases had higher contents of ergosterol and oleic acid (C_18:1) but lower levels of hexadecanoic (C_16:0) and palmitelaidic (C_16:1) acids. Contents of most detected phospholipids presented an increase tendency during fermentation process. Increased contents of oleic acid and phospholipids containing unsaturated fatty acids might indicate enhanced cell membrane fluidity. Compared with cells at lag phase, cells at exponential and stationary phases had higher expressions of ACC1 and HFA1. However, OLE1 expression underwent an evident increase at exponential phase but a decrease at following stationary phase. These results indicated that during bioethanol fermentation process, yeast cells remodeled membrane and more changeable cell membrane contributed to acquiring higher ethanol tolerance of S. cerevisiae cells. These results highlighted our knowledge about relationship between the variation of cell membrane structure and compositions and ethanol tolerance, and would contribute to a better understanding of bioethanol fermentation process and construction of industrial ethanologenic strains with higher ethanol tolerance.     

Simultaneous saccharification and continuous fermentation of sludge-containing mash for bioethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae CHFY0321

A continuous process was employed to improve the volumetric productivity of bioethanol production from cassava mash containing sludge and to simplify the process of ethanol production from cassava. After raw cassava powder was liquefied, it was used directly in a continuous process without sludge filtration or saccharification. A fermentor consisting of four linked stirrer tanks was used for simultaneous saccharification and continuous fermentation (SSCF). Although the mash contained sludge, continuous fermentation was successfully achieved. We chose the dilution rate on the basis of the maximum saccharification time; the highest volumetric productivity and ethanol yield were observed at a dilution rate of 0.028 h?1. The volumetric productivity, final ethanol concentration, and % of theoretical ethanol yield were 2.41 g/Lh, 86.1g/L, and 91%, respectively. This SSCF process using the self-flocculating yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae CHFY0321 illustrates the possibility of realizing cost-effective bioethanol production by eliminating additional saccharification and filtration processes. In addition, flocculent CHFY0321, which our group developed, showed excellent fermentation results under continuous ethanol production.