Ethanol production from starch by immobilized Aspergillus awamori and Saccharomyces pastorianus using cellulose carriers

A simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) process was investigated to produce ethanol using two kinds of cellulose carriers that were respectively suitable for immobilization of Aspergillus awamori and Saccharomyces pastorianus. The maximum ethanol concentration attained by the batch operation was 25.5 g l⁻¹. Under suitable conditions, both cellulose carriers with immobilized cells could be reused efficiently for three cycles. The total amount of ethanol production was 66.0 g (per 1 l working volume) after the repeated operation. Ethanol productivity mainly depends on a saccharification process. There is a limit in durability in the repeated batch operation, and it is important to maintain high activity of the fungus in order to produce ethanol efficiently. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2001) 27, 52–57. Received 11 December 2000/ Accepted in revised form 02 June 2001     

Increased thermostability of Asn182 --> Ala mutant Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase

Asn182 --> Ala Aspergillus awamori glucoamylase expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae had a first-order thermodeactivation coefficient 40% that of wild-type glucoamylase at pH 4.5 between 60 degrees and 65 degrees C, caused by the elimination of an Asn-Gly sequence subject to deamidation and eventual chain breakage. Above 70 degrees C, and at pHs 3.5 and 5.5, thermodeactivation coefficients of wild-type and mutant enzymes were roughly equal, because the fastest deactivation mechanism was no longer deamidation. The mutation had little effect on the enzyme's optimal pH for activity and subsite map, or on the glucose yield from starch dextrin hydrolysis. During enzyme production by yeast fermentation, highest cell densities and activities of wild-type and mutant glucoamylases were attained after a period of glucose starvation, followed by a second addition of glucose. (c) 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Engineering Saccharomyces cerevisiae for direct conversion of raw,uncooked or granular starch to ethanol

The production of raw starch-degrading amylases by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae provides opportunities for the direct hydrolysis and fermentation of raw starch to ethanol without cooking or exogenous enzyme addition. Such a consolidated bioprocess (CBP) for raw starch fermentation will substantially reduce costs associated with energy usage and commercial granular starch hydrolyzing (GSH) enzymes. The core purpose of this review is to provide comprehensive insight into the physiological impact of recombinant amylase production on the ethanol-producing yeast. Key production parameters, based on outcomes from modifications to the yeast genome and levels of amylase production, were compared to key benchmark data. In turn, these outcomes are of significance from a process point of view to highlight shortcomings in the current state of the art of raw starch fermentation yeast compared to a set of industrial standards. Therefore, this study provides an integrated critical assessment of physiology, genetics and process aspects of recombinant raw starch fermenting yeast in relation to presently used technology. Various approaches to strain development were compared on a common basis of quantitative performance measures, including the extent of hydrolysis, fermentation-hydrolysis yield and productivity. Key findings showed that levels of α-amylase required for raw starch hydrolysis far exceeded enzyme levels for soluble starch hydrolysis, pointing to a pre-requisite for excess α-amylase compared to glucoamylase for efficient raw starch hydrolysis. However, the physiological limitations of amylase production by yeast, requiring high biomass concentrations and long cultivation periods for sufficient enzyme accumulation under anaerobic conditions, remained a substantial challenge. Accordingly, the fermentation performance of the recombinant S. cerevisiae strains reviewed in this study could not match the performance of conventional starch fermentation processes, based either on starch cooking and/or exogenous amylase enzyme addition. As an alternative strategy, the addition of exogenous GSH enzymes during early stages of raw starch fermentation may prove to be a viable approach for industrial application of recombinant S. cerevisiae, with the process still benefitting from amylase production by CBP yeast during later stages of cultivation.     

Stress-related challenges in pentose fermentation to ethanol by the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Conversion of agricultural residues, energy crops and forest residues into bioethanol requires hydrolysis of the biomass and fermentation of the released sugars. During the hydrolysis of the hemicellulose fraction, substantial amounts of pentose sugars, in particular xylose, are released. Fermentation of these pentose sugars to ethanol by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae under industrial process conditions is the subject of this review. First, fermentation challenges originating from the main steps of ethanol production from lignocellulosic feedstocks are discussed, followed by genetic modifications that have been implemented in S. cerevisiae to obtain xylose and arabinose fermenting capacity per se. Finally, the fermentation of a real lignocellulosic medium is discussed in terms of inhibitory effects of furaldehydes, phenolics and weak acids and the presence of contaminating microbiota.     

液泡蛋白酶B对酿酒酵母高温乙醇发酵效率的影响

【目的】提高酿酒酵母的高耐温性,从而提高菌株在高温下的乙醇发酵性能。【方法】利用染色体整合过表达酿酒酵母液泡蛋白酶B编码基因PRB1。【结果】在41 °C高温条件下进行乙醇发酵,过表达PRB1基因的重组酿酒酵母菌株可在31 h内消耗全部的葡萄糖,而对照菌株在相同时间内仅消耗不到一半的葡萄糖。【结论】利用蛋白酶B基因过表达可构建耐高温酿酒酵母菌株,提高在高温条件下乙醇的发酵效率。     

木薯纤维素乙醇发酵的纤维素酶成本评价

木薯中的纤维素成分约占木薯干重的10％(W/W).文中以木薯燃料乙醇生产的木薯纤维素酒渣为原料,从纤维素酶成本角度评估了三种利用木薯纤维素组分发酵生产乙醇的方法,包括木薯纤维素酒渣的直接糖化和乙醇发酵、木薯纤维素酒渣预处理后的糖化与乙醇发酵、木薯乙醇发酵中同步淀粉与纤维素糖化以及乙醇发酵.结果表明,前两种方法的纤维素利用效率不高,酶成本分别达到13602、11659元/吨乙醇.第三种方法,即在木薯乙醇发酵过程同时加入糖化酶和纤维素酶,进行同步淀粉与纤维素糖化,进而进行乙醇发酵,木薯纤维素乙醇的收益最高.发酵结束时的乙醇浓度从101.5g/L提高到107.0g/L,纤维素酶成本为3 589元/吨乙醇.此方法利用木薯纤维素与木薯淀粉同时进行,不会带来额外的设备及操作投入,酶成本低于产品乙醇价格,可实现盈利,因此第三种方法为木薯纤维用于乙醇发酵的最适方法,本研究结果将为木薯乙醇产业深度利用木薯纤维提供依据.     

泡盛曲霉植酸酶的酶学性质研究

泡盛曲霉植酸酶作为动物饲料添加剂具有广泛的应用前景。以半固体发酵方式培养泡盛曲霉AS3.324(Aspergillus awamori),并得到纯化的植酸酶。对其酶学性质研究表明:其反应最适温度为50～55℃,最适pH为5.5,在37℃下以植酸钠为底物的Km值为1.05nmol/L,Vmax为2.16μmol/(L.min)。EDTA基本不影响植酸酶活性;Ca2 、Mg2 、Mn2 对植酸酶活性有轻微的抑制作用;Fe2 、Zn2 对酶促反应有显著的抑制作用。对该酶的耐热性研究表明,在较高温度条件处理后,仍有较高残余酶活性,与当今商品化的植酸酶相比,有较强的耐热性。     

Enhancement of operation and storage stability of glucoamylase from Aspergillus awamori by a protease inhibitor preparation

Glucoamylase was produced extracellularly by fermentation of strain Aspergillus awamori, which had been genetically modified to have high-level glucoamylase activity. Initial experiments showed that the enzyme deactivated quickly, with a half-life of less than 6 days even stored at 5°C. A possible reason for the rapid deactivation was the presence of proteases, attacking and degrading the glucoamylase. Therefore a liquid protease inhibitor cocktail (Sigma, USA) was selected and applied to enhance the stability of the enzyme. The activity of the enzyme (stored at 5°C) measured by the Schoorl-method with starch as substrate showed that the cocktail was effective with the enzyme maintaining 95% of its initial storage activity for almost one year. The enzyme preparation has been used for starch hydrolysis in a flat-sheet membrane bioreactor at 60°C to manufacture glucose solution and its operation stability extended by using the cocktail.     

Enhancement of operation and storage stability of glucoamylase from Aspergillus awamori by a protease inhibitor preparation

Glucoamylase was produced extracellularly by fermentation of strain Aspergillus awamori, which had been genetically modified to have high-level glucoamylase activity. Initial experiments showed that the enzyme deactivated quickly, with a half-life of less than 6 days even stored at 5°C. A possible reason for the rapid deactivation was the presence of proteases, attacking and degrading the glucoamylase. Therefore a liquid protease inhibitor cocktail (Sigma, USA) was selected and applied to enhance the stability of the enzyme. The activity of the enzyme (stored at 5°C) measured by the Schoorl-method with starch as substrate showed that the cocktail was effective with the enzyme maintaining 95% of its initial storage activity for almost one year. The enzyme preparation has been used for starch hydrolysis in a flat-sheet membrane bioreactor at 60°C to manufacture glucose solution and its operation stability extended by using the cocktail.     

乙醇耐受性酿酒酵母菌株选育的研究进展

酿酒酵母是工业发酵生产乙醇的重要菌种,但是其发酵产物乙醇对酿酒酵母有明显的抑制作用.选育乙醇耐受性酿酒酵母是克服高浓度乙醇的抑制作用,提高乙醇产量的一条重要途径.本文对近年来国内外选育乙醇耐受性酵母的研究作一综述,旨在为乙醇耐受性酵母的选育提供参考.     

固定化酵母乙醇发酵及固化小球微生态的研究

比较了SA-PVA-SiO₂固定化酿酒酵母和游离酿酒酵母的乙醇发酵能力,采用批次发酵试验研究固定化酿酒酵母的发酵稳定性。结果表明,SA-PVA-SiO₂固定化酿酒酵母的发酵速度比游离酿酒酵母快,发酵周期短;发酵稳定性很好,30℃,橡胶塞、90 r/min摇床培养24 h时,乙醇体积分数均在3%~3.5％之间,连续发酵14批次后,固化小球的形态依然完好,不发粘。通过扫描电镜对酿酒酵母包埋微生态环境进行了分析,图像表明固定化小球的内部环境非常有利于酵母细胞的厌氧发酵产乙醇,充分证明了SA-PVA-SiO₂固定化酿酒酵母乙醇发酵的优越性。     

Production, partial purification and characterization of feruloyl esterase by Aspergillus awamori in submerged fermentation

Microbial feruloyl esterases acting on plant cell wall polymers represent key tools for the degradation of plant cell wall. In this paper, we describe in detail the microbial production, partial purification and characterization of feruloyl esterase from a culture medium of Aspergillus awamori strain IFO4033 obtained from a crude hemicellulose preparation of wheat straw, corncobs and wheat germ. Feruloyl esterase was extracted using centrifugation and dialysis, and then purified by ion exchange chromatography and microfiltration to homogeneity, which was checked by SDSPAGE and isoelectric focusing-PAGE. Protein content and activity of the enzyme were measured in each step of extraction and purification. Biomass was determined by the dry weight method. pH and temperature optima of feruloyl esterase enzyme were also determined. The effects of culturing time, and carbon and nitrogen sources on enzyme production were systematically investigated. Finally, enzyme activities under different storage conditions were examined.     

Induction of baroresistance by hydrogen peroxide, ethanol and cold-shock in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The acquisition of tolerance to high hydrostatic pressure of 220 MPa (HHP) in response to a 0.4 mM hydrogen peroxide, 6% ethanol and cold-shock (10 degrees C) pretreatment for different lengths of times was studied in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The protection conferred by these different treatments was similar ( approximately 3 log cycles) and time-dependent. Analysis of the induction of the most pressure up-regulated genes under these conditions was investigated by RT-PCR. Our results revealed that the cell stress response to HHP shares common features with hydrogen peroxide and ethanol stresses, but differs in some way to cold-shock.     

Physiological difference during ethanol fermentation between calcium alginate-immobilized Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Calcium alginate-immobilized Candida tropicalis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae are compared for glucose fermentation. Immobilized C. tropicalis cells showed a slight morphological alteration during ethanol production at 40 degrees C, but their fermentation capacity was reduced by 25%. Under immobilization conditions, the two species demonstrated two different mathematical patterns when the relationship between growth rate, respiration rate, and ethanol tolerance was assessed. The interspecific difference in behavior of immobilized yeast cells is mainly due to their natural metabolic preference. The production of CO(2) by calcium alginate-immobilized C. tropicalis, as well as the lower supply of oxygen to the cells, are the major factors that reduce ethanol production.     

酿酒酵母乙醇耐受性的研究进展

生物乙醇作为一种可再生的清洁能源,正在引起人们的广泛关注.酿酒酵母是乙醇生产中最常用的发酵菌株,但是乙醇耐受性往往成为限制酿酒酵母菌乙醇产量的重要因素.选育耐受高浓度乙醇的酵母菌株对于提高乙醇产率具有重要意义.然而传统的菌株改良方法具有育种周期长,突变方向不定等缺点.主要综述了近年来国内外对酿酒酵母菌耐受乙醇的分子生物学机理方面的研究成果,进而总结了提高酿酒酵母乙醇耐受性的基因工程、代谢工程.     

酿酒酵母乙醇耐受性机理研究进展

酿酒酵母(Sacchromyces cerevisiae)一直是主要的生物乙醇和酿酒业发酵菌株, 具有发酵速度快、乙醇产量高特性。然而, 产物乙醇积累造成的毒性效应是限制乙醇产量的主要因素之一, 研究酿酒酵母乙醇耐受性为解决这一工业难题奠定了理论基础。本文从乙醇对酵母细胞生理、细胞结构和组分的影响, 以及酿酒酵母乙醇耐受性的遗传基础方面综述了酿酒酵母乙醇耐受性机理的研究进展。