Effect of organic acids on the growth and fermentation of ethanologenic Escherichia coli LY01

Hemicellulose residues can be hydrolyzed into a sugar syrup using dilute mineral acids. Although this syrup represents a potential feedstock for biofuel production, toxic compounds generated during hydrolysis limit microbial metabolism. Escherichia coli LY01, an ethanologenic biocatalyst engineered to ferment the mixed sugars in hemicellulose syrups, has been tested for resistance to selected organic acids that are present in hemicellulose hydrolysates. Compounds tested include aromatic acids derived from lignin (ferulic, gallic, 4-hydroxybenzoic, syringic, and vanillic acids), acetic acid from the hydrolysis of acetylxylan, and others derived from sugar destruction (furoic, formic, levulinic, and caproic acids). Toxicity was related to hydrophobicity. Combinations of acids were roughly additive as inhibitors of cell growth. When tested at concentrations that inhibited growth by 80%, none appeared to strongly inhibit glycolysis and energy generation, or to disrupt membrane integrity. Toxicity was not markedly affected by inoculum size or incubation temperature. The toxicity of all acids except gallic acid was reduced by an increase in initial pH (from pH 6.0 to pH 7.0 to pH 8.0). Together, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that both aliphatic and mononuclear organic acids inhibit growth and ethanol production in LY01 by collapsing ion gradients and increasing internal anion concentrations.     

Polyamine Transporters and Polyamines Increase Furfural Tolerance during Xylose Fermentation with Ethanologenic Escherichia coli Strain LY180

Expression of genes encoding polyamine transporters from plasmids and polyamine supplements increased furfural tolerance (growth and ethanol production) in ethanologenic Escherichia coli LY180 (in AM1 mineral salts medium containing xylose). This represents a new approach to increase furfural tolerance and may be useful for other organisms. Microarray comparisons of two furfural-resistant mutants (EMFR9 and EMFR35) provided initial evidence for the importance of polyamine transporters. Each mutant contained a single polyamine transporter gene that was upregulated over 100-fold (microarrays) compared to that in the parent LY180, as well as a mutation that silenced the expression of yqhD. Based on these genetic changes, furfural tolerance was substantially reconstructed in the parent, LY180. Deletion of potE in EMFR9 lowered furfural tolerance to that of the parent. Deletion of potE and puuP in LY180 also decreased furfural tolerance, indicating functional importance of the native genes. Of the 8 polyamine transporters (18 genes) cloned and tested, half were beneficial for furfural tolerance (PotE, PuuP, PlaP, and PotABCD). Supplementing AM1 mineral salts medium with individual polyamines (agmatine, putrescine, and cadaverine) also increased furfural tolerance but to a smaller extent. In pH-controlled fermentations, polyamine transporter plasmids were shown to promote the metabolism of furfural and substantially reduce the time required to complete xylose fermentation. This increase in furfural tolerance is proposed to result from polyamine binding to negatively charged cellular constituents such as nucleic acids and phospholipids, providing protection from damage by furfural.     

Fermentation of sweet whey by ethanologenic Escherichia coli

Whey, an abundant byproduct of the dairy industry, contains large amounts of protein and lactose which could be used for fuel ethanol production. We have investigated a new organism as a candidate for such fermentations: recombinant Escherichia coli containing the genes encoding the ethanol pathway from Zymomonas mobilis. The highest level of ethanol achieved, 68 g/L, was produced after 108 hours in Luria broth containing 140 g lactose/L. Fermentations of lower lactose concentrations were completed more rapidly with approximately 88% of theoretical yields. Reconstituted sweet whey (60 g lactose/L)was fermented more slowly than lactose in Luria broth requiring 144 hours to produce 26 g ethanol/L. Supplementing sweet whey with a trace metal mix and ammonium sulfate reduced the required fermentation time to 72 hours and increased final ethanol concentration (28 g ethanol/L). By adding proteinases during fermentation, the requirement for ammonia was completely eliminated, and the rate of fermentation further improved (30 g ethanol/L after 48 hours). This latter incresed in rate of ethanol production and ethanol yield are presumed to result from incorporation of amino acids released by hydrolysis of whey proteins. The fermentation of sweet whey by ethanologenic E. coil reduced the nonvolatile residue by approximately 70%. This should reduce biological oxygen demand and reduce the cost of waste treatment. Whey supplemented with trace metals and small amounts of proteinase may represent an economically attractive feedstock for the production of ethanol and other useful chemicals.     

Mannose fermentation by an ethanologenic recombinant Escherichia coli

Summary Recombinant E. coli B (pLOI297) grows in Luria broth with mannose at a rate that is only about one-half of the rate with xylose and about one-quarter of the rate with glucose as carbon source. For a sugar concentration of about 2 % (w/v), the corresponding specific ethanol productivities (q_p) are 0.22, 0.45 and 0.70 g ethanol/g cell/h for mannose, xylose and glucose. At higher sugar concentrations (8–11 %), the sp. productivities are 0.12, 0.33 and 0.35 g ethanol/g cell/h for mannose, xylose and glucose. Using a synthetic softwood prehydrolysate medium, in which the mass ratio of mannose:xylose:glucose was approx. 1.0:0.6:0.4 (total sugar conc'n 4.5 %), the sp. productivities associated with glucose and xylose metabolism were decreased by about 50 % and 75 % respectively, whereas mannose metabolism appeared unaffected by the presence of the other sugars. In all cases, the sugar-to-ethanol conversion efficiency was >90 % of theoretical maximum     

Fermentation of newsprint prehydrolysate by an ethanologenic recombinant Escherichia coli

Summary Recombinant E. coli B (pLOI297) produced ethanol from a nutrient-supplemented, newsprint prehydrolysate medium, at about a 20% reduction in both yield and productivity compared to a synthetic softwood hemicellulose hydrolysate medium (lacking acetic acid). With pH controlled at 7, the sugar-to-ethanol conversion efficiency with the newsprint prehydrolysate was 74.5% of theoretical maximum. The final ethanol concentration was 14.6 g/L. Reduced ethanol yield was due to by-product formation, principally lactic acid. The specific rates of glucose, mannose and xylose utilization in the synthetic medium were 0.73, 0.42 and 0.22 g/g cell/h respectively. The ethanol yield from the pretreatment processing of newsprint is estimated at 85L per dry metric ton.     

Elucidating mechanisms of solvent toxicity in ethanologenic Escherichia coli

Ethanol toxicity and its effect on ethanol production by the recombinant ethanologenic Escherichia coli strain KO11 were investigated in batch and continuous fermentation. During batch growth, ethanol produced by KO11 reduced both the specific cell growth rate (µ) and the cell yield (Y_X/S). The extent of inhibition increased with the production of both acetate and lactate. Subsequent accumulation of these metabolites and ethanol resulted in cessation of cell growth, redirection of metabolism to reduce ethanol production, and increased requirements for cell maintenance. These effects were found to depend on both the glycolytic flux and the flux from pyruvate to ethanol. Pyruvate decarboxylase (Pdc) and alcohol dehydrogenase (Adh) activities measured during the batch fermentation suggested that decreased ethanol production resulted from enzyme inhibition rather than down‐regulation of genes in the ethanol‐producing pathway. Ethanol was added in continuous fermentation to provide an ethanol concentration of either 17 or 27 g/L, triggering sustained oscillations in the cell growth rate. Cell concentrations oscillated in‐phase with ethanol and acetate concentrations. The amplitude of oscillations depended on the concentration of ethanol in the fermentor. Through multiple oscillatory cycles, the yield (Y_P/S) and concentration of ethanol decreased, while production of acetate increased. These results suggest that KO11 favorably adapted to improve growth by synthesizing more ATP though acetate production, and recycling NADH by producing more lactate and less ethanol. Implications of these results for strategies to improve ethanol production are described. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2010;106: 721–730. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Loss of an Essential Function of Escherichia coli by Deletions in the thyA Region

In an attempt to obtain deletions in the thyA gene, an abnormal lysogen of lambda having the prophage inserted between the thyA and lysA genes was induced, and the surviving cured cells were examined for Thy(-) and Lys(-) mutants. In nearly 10,000 cured cells, 184 Lys(-) but no Thy(-) mutants were found. At the same time, the induced lambda phage contained an approximately equivalent number of lambdathyA(+) and lambdalysA(+) transducing particles. By contrast, in a strain with the genotype F' thyA(-)lysA(+)/ thyA(+)lysA(+), induction of the abnormal lambda lysogen gave rise to many Thy(-) mutants in the cells cured of the prophage. In these Thy(-) mutants it was not possible to eliminate the episome with acridine orange, although the episome could be removed in control cultures with a thyA(+) allele in the resident gene. Therefore, it was suggested that deletion of a gene in the region of the chromosome from the position of the insertion of the lambda prophage through the thyA gene caused loss of an essential and diffusible function.     

Gene array-based identification of changes that contribute to ethanol tolerance in ethanologenic Escherichia coli: comparison of KO11 (parent) to LY01 (resistant mutant)

Escherichia coli KO11 (parent) and LY01 (mutant) have been engineered for the production of ethanol. Gene arrays were used to identify expression changes that occurred in the mutant, LY01, during directed evolution to improve ethanol tolerance (defined as extent of growth in the presence of added ethanol). Expression levels for 205 (5%) of the ORFs were found to differ significantly (p < 0.10) between KO11 and LY01 under each of six different growth conditions (p < 0.000001). Statistical evaluation of differentially expressed genes according to various classification schemes identified physiological areas of importance. A large fraction of differentially expressed ORFs were globally regulated, leading to the discovery of a nonfunctional fnr gene in strain LY01. In agreement with a putative role for FNR in alcohol tolerance, increasing the copy number of fnr(+) in KO11(pGS196) decreased ethanol tolerance but had no effect on growth in the absence of ethanol. Other differences in gene expression provided additional clues that permitted experimentation. Tolerance appears to involve increased metabolism of glycine (higher expression of gcv genes) and increased production of betaine (higher expression of betIBA and betT encoding betaine synthesis from choline and choline uptake, respectively). Addition of glycine (10 mM) increased ethanol tolerance in KO11 but had no effect in the absence of ethanol. Addition of betaine (10 mM) increased ethanol tolerance by over 2-fold in both LY01 and KO11 but had no effect on growth in the absence of ethanol. Both glycine and betaine can serve as protective osmolytes, and this may be the basis of their beneficial action. In addition, the marAB genes encoding multiple antibiotic resistance proteins were expressed at higher levels in LY01 as compared to KO11. Interestingly, overexpression of marAB in KO11 made this strain more ethanol-sensitive. Overexpression of marAB in LY01 had no effect on ethanol tolerance. Increased expression of genes encoding serine uptake (sdaC) and serine deamination (sdaB) also appear beneficial for LY01. Addition of serine increased the growth of LY01 in the presence and absence of ethanol but had no effect on KO11. Changes in the expression of several genes concerned with the synthesis of the cell envelope components were also noted, which may contribute to increased ethanol tolerance.     

Laboratory metabolic evolution improves acetate tolerance and growth on acetate of ethanologenic Escherichia coli under non-aerated conditions in glucose-mineral medium

In this work, Escherichia coli MG1655 was engineered to produce ethanol and evolved in a laboratory process to obtain an acetate tolerant strain called MS04 (E. coli MG1655: ΔpflB, ΔadhE, ΔfrdA, ΔxylFGH, ΔldhA, PpflB::pdc _Zm -adhB _Zm , evolved). The growth and ethanol production kinetics of strain MS04 were determined in mineral medium, mainly under non-aerated conditions, supplemented with glucose in the presence of different concentrations of sodium acetate at pH?7.0 and at different values of acid pH and a constant concentration of sodium acetate (2?g/l). Results revealed an increase in the specific growth rate, cell mass formation, and ethanol volumetric productivity at moderate concentrations of sodium acetate (2–10?g/l), in addition to a high tolerance to acetate because it was able to grow and produce a high yield of ethanol in the presence of up to 40?g/l of sodium acetate. Genomic analysis of the ΔpflB evolved strain identified that a chromosomal deletion of 27.3?kb generates the improved growth and acetate tolerance in MG1655 ΔpflB derivative strains. This deletion comprises genes related to the respiration of nitrate, repair of alkylated DNA and synthesis of the ompC gene coding for porin C, cytochromes C, thiamine, and colonic acid. Strain MS04 is advantageous for the production of ethanol from hemicellulosic hydrolysates that contain acetate.     

Specific ethanol production rate in ethanologenic Escherichia coli strain KO11 Is limited by pyruvate decarboxylase

Modification of ethanol productivity and yield, using mineral medium supplemented with glucose or xylose as carbon sources, was studied in ethanologenic Escherichia coli KO11 by increasing the activity of five key carbon metabolism enzymes. KO11 efficiently converted glucose or xylose to ethanol with a yield close to 100% of the theoretical maximum when growing in rich medium. However, when KO11 ferments glucose or xylose in mineral medium, the ethanol yields decreased to only 70 and 60%, respectively. An increase in GALP(Ec) (permease of galactose-glucose-xylose) or PGK(Ec) (phosphoglycerate kinase) activities did not change xylose or glucose and ethanol flux. However, when PDC(Zm) (pyruvate decarboxylase from Zymomonas mobilis) activity was increased 7-fold, the yields of ethanol from glucose or xylose were increased to 85 and 75%, respectively, and organic acid formation rates were reduced. Furthermore, as a response to a reduction in acetate and ATP yield, and a limited PDC(Zm) activity, an increase in PFK(Ec) (phosphofructokinase) or PYK(Bs) (pyruvate kinase from Bacillus stearothermophilus) activity drastically reduced glucose or xylose consumption and ethanol formation flux. This experimental metabolic control analysis showed that ethanol flux in KO11 is negatively controlled by phosphofructokinase and pyruvate kinase, and positively influenced by the PDC(Zm) activity level.     

Efficient fermentation of Pinus sp. acid hydrolysates by an ethanologenic strain of Escherichia coli.

Process conditions for the acid hydrolysis of pine hemicellulose and cellulose have been described which provide a biocompatible sugar solution. By using an improved strain of recombinant Escherichia coli, strain KO11, hydrolysates supplemented with yeast extract and tryptone nutrients were converted to ethanol with an efficiency of 85% to over 100% on the basis of monomer sugar content (approximately 72 g/liter) and with the production of 35 g of ethanol per liter in 48 h. In the process described, approximately 347 liters of ethanol could be produced per dry metric ton of lignocellulose.     

Efficient fermentation of Pinus sp. acid hydrolysates by an ethanologenic strain of Escherichia coli.

Process conditions for the acid hydrolysis of pine hemicellulose and cellulose have been described which provide a biocompatible sugar solution. By using an improved strain of recombinant Escherichia coli, strain KO11, hydrolysates supplemented with yeast extract and tryptone nutrients were converted to ethanol with an efficiency of 85% to over 100% on the basis of monomer sugar content (approximately 72 g/liter) and with the production of 35 g of ethanol per liter in 48 h. In the process described, approximately 347 liters of ethanol could be produced per dry metric ton of lignocellulose.     

Conversion of xylan to ethanol by ethanologenic strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella oxytoca.

A two-stage process was evaluated for the fermentation of polymeric feedstocks to ethanol by a single, genetically engineered microorganism. The truncated xylanase gene (xynZ) from the thermophilic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum was fused with the N terminus of lacZ to eliminate secretory signals. This hybrid gene was expressed at high levels in ethanologenic strains of Escherichia coli KO11 and Klebsiella oxytoca M5A1(pLOI555). Large amounts of xylanase (25 to 93 mU/mg of cell protein) accumulated as intracellular products during ethanol production. Cells containing xylanase were harvested at the end of fermentation and added to a xylan solution at 60 degrees C, thereby releasing xylanase for saccharification. After cooling, the hydrolysate was fermented to ethanol with the same organism (30 degrees C), thereby replenishing the supply of xylanase for a subsequent saccharification. Recombinant E. coli metabolized only xylose, while recombinant K. oxytoca M5A1 metabolized xylose, xylobiose, and xylotriose but not xylotetrose. Derivatives of this latter organism produced large amounts of intracellular xylosidase, and the organism is presumed to transport both xylobiose and xylotriose for intracellular hydrolysis. By using recombinant M5A1, approximately 34% of the maximal theoretical yield of ethanol was obtained from xylan by this two-stage process. The yield appeared to be limited by the digestibility of commercial xylan rather than by a lack of sufficient xylanase or by ethanol toxicity. In general form, this two-stage process, which uses a single, genetically engineered microorganism, should be applicable for the production of useful chemicals from a wide range of biomass polymers.     

Conversion of xylan to ethanol by ethanologenic strains of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella oxytoca.

A two-stage process was evaluated for the fermentation of polymeric feedstocks to ethanol by a single, genetically engineered microorganism. The truncated xylanase gene (xynZ) from the thermophilic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum was fused with the N terminus of lacZ to eliminate secretory signals. This hybrid gene was expressed at high levels in ethanologenic strains of Escherichia coli KO11 and Klebsiella oxytoca M5A1(pLOI555). Large amounts of xylanase (25 to 93 mU/mg of cell protein) accumulated as intracellular products during ethanol production. Cells containing xylanase were harvested at the end of fermentation and added to a xylan solution at 60 degrees C, thereby releasing xylanase for saccharification. After cooling, the hydrolysate was fermented to ethanol with the same organism (30 degrees C), thereby replenishing the supply of xylanase for a subsequent saccharification. Recombinant E. coli metabolized only xylose, while recombinant K. oxytoca M5A1 metabolized xylose, xylobiose, and xylotriose but not xylotetrose. Derivatives of this latter organism produced large amounts of intracellular xylosidase, and the organism is presumed to transport both xylobiose and xylotriose for intracellular hydrolysis. By using recombinant M5A1, approximately 34% of the maximal theoretical yield of ethanol was obtained from xylan by this two-stage process. The yield appeared to be limited by the digestibility of commercial xylan rather than by a lack of sufficient xylanase or by ethanol toxicity. In general form, this two-stage process, which uses a single, genetically engineered microorganism, should be applicable for the production of useful chemicals from a wide range of biomass polymers.     

Genetic improvement of butanol tolerance in Escherichia coli by cell surface expression of fish metallothionein

Cysteine-rich metallothioneins (MTs) have been reported to possess the capacity to scavenge reactive oxygen species in vitro and in vivo. Recombinant strains of Escherichia coli expressing outer membrane protein C (OmpC) fused with MTs from human, mouse and tilapia displayed the ability for such surface-localized MTs to scavenge extracellular free radicals, but the benefits of the possible applications of this capacity have not yet been demonstrated. Because the intrinsic butanol tolerance of microbes has become an impediment for biological butanol production, we examined whether surface-displayed MTs could contribute to butanol tolerance. The results show that strains expressing OmpC-MT fusion proteins had higher butanol tolerance than strains with cytoplasmically expressed MTs. Furthermore, the OmpC-tilapia MT fusion protein enhanced butanol tolerance more strongly than other recombinant constructs. Although the enhanced level of tolerance was not as high as that provided by OmpC-tilapia MT, over-expression of OmpC was also found to contribute to butanol tolerance. These results suggest that free-radical scavenging by MT and OmpC-related osmoregulation enhance butanol tolerance. Our results shed new light on methods for engineering bacteria with higher butanol tolerance.     

糠醛和5-羟甲基糠醛对大肠杆菌产丁二酸的影响

利用可再生生物质特别是木质纤维素水解液来生产平台化合物丁二酸,是目前研究的热点。虽然许多研究者相继报道了木质纤维素水解液对菌株生长和丁二酸生产存在一定抑制作用,但并没有水解液中各种抑制物对菌株影响的相关动力学研究及机理研究。我们选择了两种代表性木质纤维素水解液抑制物,即糠醛和5-羟甲基糠醛,系统研究了它们对大肠杆菌的生长和丁二酸生产的影响。结果表明：糠醛和5-羟甲基糠醛的初始抑制浓度均为0.8 g/L。当糠醛浓度大于6.4 g/L,5-羟甲基糠醛浓度大于12.8 g/L时,菌株生长完全受到抑制。在最高耐受浓度下,糠醛的存在使菌株生物量比对照菌株下降77.8%,丁二酸产量下降36.1%。5-羟甲基糠醛的存在使菌株生物量比对照菌株降低13.6%,丁二酸产量降低18.3%。糠醛和5-羟甲基糠醛具有明显的协同作用。体外酶活测定表明丁二酸生产途径中关键酶磷酸烯醇式丙酮酸羧化酶、苹果酸脱氢酶、富马酸还原酶均受糠醛和5-羟甲基糠醛抑制。研究结果对丁二酸生产用纤维素水解液的预处理和脱毒工艺开发具有指导作用,有利于实现丁二酸发酵生产的工业化。     

Increase of phenol tolerance of Escherichia coli by alterations of the fatty acid composition of the membrane lipids

In the presence of sublethal concentrations of phenol, 4-chlorophenol, and p-cresol in the growth medium, cells of Escherichia coli modified the fatty acid composition of their lipids. The result of these changes was an increase in the degree of saturation of lipids probably in order to compensate an increase of fluidity of the membrane induced by the phenols. Supplementation of the growth medium with saturated fatty acids could also enhance the degree of lipid saturation due to the incorporation of the acyl chains in the phospholipids. At the same time the growth of cells was less inhibited than in unsupplemented cells. The increase of tolerance of cells by manipulating the lipid composition indicates that the membrane structure plays a crucial role in the mode of action of phenols.