C-2 Epimer Formation of Tetrose, Pentose and Hexose Sugars by Xylose Isomerase

We describe novel tetrose isomerizations and C-2 epimerizations by the industrially important d -xylose ketol-isomerase (E.C.5.3.1.5) with both the d - and l -forms of the sugars. We further show that in addition to isomerization to d -fructose, d -glucose is slowly C-2 epimerized to d -mannose. The formation rate of the C-2 epimer was 0.03 mg mg -1 min -1 from d -glucose, 0.56 mg mg -1 min -1 from d -arabinose and 3.0 mg mg -1 min -1 from d -erythrose. The equilibria of the reaction products as a function of temperature were measured for threose/erythrulose/erythrose, arabinose/ribulose/ ribose and glucose/fructose/mannose.     

C-2 Epimer Formation of Tetrose,Pentose and Hexose Sugars by Xylose Isomerase

We describe novel tetrose isomerizations and C-2 epimerizations by the industrially important d -xylose ketol-isomerase (E.C.5.3.1.5) with both the d - and l -forms of the sugars. We further show that in addition to isomerization to d -fructose, d -glucose is slowly C-2 epimerized to d -mannose. The formation rate of the C-2 epimer was 0.03 mg mg &#109 1 min &#109 1 from d -glucose, 0.56 mg mg &#109 1 min &#109 1 from d -arabinose and 3.0 mg mg &#109 1 min &#109 1 from d -erythrose. The equilibria of the reaction products as a function of temperature were measured for threose/erythrulose/erythrose, arabinose/ribulose/ ribose and glucose/fructose/mannose.     

代谢改造热带假丝酵母发酵木糖母液生产木糖醇

木糖醇是一种在食品、医药、轻工等领域具有广泛用途的多元醇,目前主要通过酸水解木聚糖获得木糖并进一步化学催化加氢方法制备。提取木糖过程中会产生大量的木糖母液副产物,其中含有一定浓度的葡萄糖、木糖、阿拉伯糖等碳源,以及少量的糠醛、四氢呋喃等物质。研究微生物转化木糖母液生产高附加值化学品不仅能够提高木糖母液的利用价值,而且能够减少环境污染。热带假丝酵母不仅能够利用葡萄糖,也具有高效的木糖代谢途径。首先利用代谢工程技术删除了热带假丝酵母菌株的木糖醇脱氢酶基因,获得能够转化木糖积累木糖醇的突变株。在此基础上,评价了突变株在木糖母液培养基中的发酵性能。通过单因素优化实验确定了突变株发酵生产木糖醇较优的发酵工艺:培养基组成为木糖母液300g/L,玉米浆5g/L;最佳发酵条件为:发酵温度35℃,初始p H为5.0,接种量15%,200r/min摇床培养140h。利用优化后的发酵工艺,木糖醇产量达到83.01g/L。初步建立了转化木糖母液生产木糖醇的工艺,为进一步利用木糖母液奠定了基础。     

Radioisotopic tracing of carbon monoxide conversion by anaerobic thermophilic prokaryotes

The rate of CO conversion by a pure culture of a thermophilic CO-oxidizing, H₂-producing bacterium Carboxydocella sp. strain 1503 was determined by the radioisotopic method. The overall daily uptake of ¹⁴CO by the bacterium was estimated at 38–56 μmol CO per 1 ml of the culture. A radioisotopic method was developed to separate and quantitatively determine the products of anaerobic CO conversion by microbial communities in hot springs. The new method was first tested on the microbial community from a sample obtained from a hot spring in Kamchatka. The potential rate of CO conversion by the anaerobic microbial community was found to be 40.75 nmol CO/cm³ sediment per day. 85% of the utilized ¹⁴CO was oxidized to carbon dioxide; 14.5% was incorporated into dissolved organic matter, including 0.2% that went into volatile fatty acids; 0.5% was used for cell biomass production; and only just over 0.001% was converted to methane.     

代谢木糖和葡萄糖的重组酿酒酵母的构建

为使酿酒酵母（Saccharomyces cerevisiae）YS58代谢木糖产乙醇,采用PCR方法克隆得到树干毕赤酵母（Pichia stipitis）木糖醇脱氢酶基因xy12,并将该基因和克隆得到的休哈塔假丝酵母（Candida shehatae）缺终止子的木糖还原酶基因xyl1一起连接到酵母表达载体pYES2的强启动子GAL下,得到融合表达载体pYES2-P12。通过醋酸锂转化的方法将pY-ES2-P12转入S.cerevisiae YS58中,得到S.cerevisiae YS58-12。利用所构建的重组酿酒酵母进行术糖发酵实验,结果表明该重组酵母能发酵木糖,使木糖利用率得到进一步提高,最高达到81．3％,而且能代谢木糖产生乙醇。     

粗糙脉孢菌(Neurospora crassa)木糖发酵的研究

研究了不同通氧条件和培养基初始pH等对粗糙脉孢菌(Neurospora crassa)AS3．1602木糖发酵的影响。结果表明,粗糙脉孢菌具有较强的发酵木糖产生乙醇及木糖醇的能力。通气量对木糖发酵有较大的影响。乙醇发酵适合在半好氧条件下进行,此时乙醇的转化率达到63．2％。木糖醇发酵适合在微好氧的条件下进行,转化率达到31．8％。木糖醇是在培养基中乙醇达到一定浓度后才开始积累。培养基的初始pH对木糖发酵产物有较大的影响,乙醇产生最适pH5．0,木糖醇产生最适pH4．0。在培养基pH为碱性条件时,木糖发酵受到很大的抑制。初始木糖浓度对产物乙醇及木糖醇的产率有很大的影响。葡萄糖的存在会抑制木糖的利用,对乙醇和木糖醇的产生也有很大的影响。     

Low salt medium for lactate and ethanol production by recombinant Escherichia coli B

Individual nutrient salts were experimentally varied to determine the minimum requirements for efficient l(+)-lactate production by recombinant strains of Escherichia coli B. Based on these results, AM1 medium was formulated with low levels of alkali metals (4.5 mM and total salts (4.2 g l⁻¹). This medium was equally effective for ethanol production from xylose and lactate production from glucose with average productivities of 18–19 mmol l⁻¹ h⁻¹ for both (initial 48 h of fermentation).     

Diversity of microbial communities in open mixed culture fermentations: impact of the pH and carbon source

Anaerobic fermentation by an open mixed culture was investigated at different pH values (4–8.5) and with three substrates (glucose, glycerol and xylose). The populations established in each condition were assessed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis analysis of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene fragments. The fermentation pattern and the composition of the microbial population were also evaluated when operational variations were imposed (increase of substrate concentration or introduction of a second substrate). The experimental results demonstrated that at low and high pH values, a clearly different fermentation pattern was associated with the dominance of a specialised group of clostridiae. At intermediate pH values, the product spectrum was rather variable and seemed to be sensitive to variations in the microbial community. Different substrates resulted in the establishment of different microbial communities. When fed with a mixture of two substrates, mixotrophic microorganisms (capable of degrading both substrates) were found to overgrow the originally dominant specialists. Overall, the experiments have shown that some operational variables have a clear impact on the fermentation pattern and on the population established. However, a uniform relationship between the process characteristics (associated to a metabolic response) and the microbial population present is not always possible. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Urea production by Thiosphaera pantotropha and by anaerobic enrichment cultures from marine sediments

Abstract The production of urea by Thiosphaera pantotropha was studied. Batch cultures were grown on acetate as energy source and with NO₃⁻ or O₂ as terminal electron acceptor. Urea accumulated in the media during exponential growth in aerobic and anaerobic cultures of T. pantotropha . Urea production continued after the cells had entered the stationary growth phase. Bacterial ability to produce urea was supported by studies of cultures enriched for denitrifying, sulphate-reducing and fermenting bacteria. The results implied that urea production was common among bacteria normally considered to be important in marine sediments.     

Minimal metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for efficient anaerobic xylose fermentation: a proof of principle

When xylose metabolism in yeasts proceeds exclusively via NADPH-specific xylose reductase and NAD-specific xylitol dehydrogenase, anaerobic conversion of the pentose to ethanol is intrinsically impossible. When xylose reductase has a dual specificity for both NADPH and NADH, anaerobic alcoholic fermentation is feasible but requires the formation of large amounts of polyols (e.g., xylitol) to maintain a closed redox balance. As a result, the ethanol yield on xylose will be sub-optimal. This paper demonstrates that anaerobic conversion of xylose to ethanol, without substantial by-product formation, is possible in Saccharomyces cerevisiae when a heterologous xylose isomerase (EC 5.3.1.5) is functionally expressed. Transformants expressing the XylA gene from the anaerobic fungus Piromyces sp. E2 (ATCC 76762) grew in synthetic medium in shake-flask cultures on xylose with a specific growth rate of 0.005 h(-1). After prolonged cultivation on xylose, a mutant strain was obtained that grew aerobically and anaerobically on xylose, at specific growth rates of 0.18 and 0.03 h(-1), respectively. The anaerobic ethanol yield was 0.42 g ethanol x g xylose(-1) and also by-product formation was comparable to that of glucose-grown anaerobic cultures. These results illustrate that only minimal genetic engineering is required to recruit a functional xylose metabolic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Activities and/or regulatory properties of native S. cerevisiae gene products can subsequently be optimised via evolutionary engineering. These results provide a gateway towards commercially viable ethanol production from xylose with S. cerevisiae.     

木糖醇微生物转化的研究

一、引言 木糖醇是一种被广泛用于国防、医药、食品和化学等工业的五碳糖醇。木糖醇也是一种具有营养价值的甜味剂,由于它的代谢不需胰岛素,可作为糖尿病人的食糖代用品。另外木糖醇还可以作为防龋食品。目前国内外生产木糖醇的方法是化学法,即由农业纤维废料如玉米芯和甘蔗渣等经酸水解和提     

Sugar fermentation by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fusarium oxysporum</Emphasis> to produce ethanol

As a first step in the research on ethanol production from lignocellulose residues, sugar fermentation by Fusarium oxysporum in oxygen-limited conditions is studied in this work. As a substrate, solutions of arabinose, glucose, xylose and glucose/xylose mixtures are employed. The main kinetic and yield parameters of the process are determined according to a time-dependent model. The microorganism growth is characterized by the maximum specific growth rate and biomass productivity, the substrate consumption is studied through the specific consumption rate and biomass yield, and the product formation via the specific production rate and product yields. In conclusion, F. oxysporum can convert glucose and xylose into ethanol with product yields of 0.38 and 0.25, respectively; when using a glucose/xylose mixture as carbon source, the sugars are utilized sequentially and a maximum value of 0.28 g/g ethanol yield is determined from a 50% glucose/50% xylose mixture. Although fermentation performance by F.␣oxysporum is somewhat lower than that of other fermenting microorganisms, its ability for simultaneous lignocellulose-residue saccharification and fermentation is considered as a potential advantage.     

油脂酵母发酵木糖生产微生物油脂

目的用斯达油脂酵母(Lipomyces starkeyi)作为发酵菌株,以纯木糖溶液为油脂发酵原料,对L.starkeyi利用木糖积累油脂进行系统研究。方法 L.starkeyi于斜面培养基中活化后,接种于YPD液体培养基,于30℃、200 r/min摇床培养。在摇瓶中培养一段时间后,测定发酵液细胞浓度,离心发酵液收集细胞。将离心后得到的菌体加入木糖溶液重悬,并转接于含50 mL木糖溶液的250 mL摇瓶中进行发酵生产。结果相比一阶段法,两阶段发酵方法可以在更短的时间内达到较高的油脂含量,油脂含量能够达到细胞自身干重的60%以上。实验发现高菌龄酵母产油速度更快;并且初始木糖浓度高达120 g/L时,酵母细胞仍然能够高效合成油脂。结论 L.starkeyi能够有效利用木糖进行发酵产生油脂,是以木质纤维素为原料生产微生物油脂的优良菌种。     

发酵木糖生产酒精的研究进展及其应用前景

综述了发酵木糖生产酒精的研究进展 ,包括木糖代谢机理、发酵木糖生产酒精的菌种选育及发酵条件等。     

Decolorization of reactive dyes by mixed cultures isolated from textile effluent under anaerobic conditions

In the present study mixed cultures that could grew in the molasses media were isolated from textile dye effluent and its decolorization activity was studied in a batch system under anaerobic conditions, in order to determine the optimal conditions required for the highest decolorization activity. The optimum pH value for decolorization was determined as 8 for all the dyes tested. In the experiment with pH 8 dye decolorizations by mixed cultures were investigated at about 96.2–1031.3 mg l⁻¹ initial dye concentrations. The highest dye removal rates of mixed cultures were 94.9% for Reactive Red RB, 91.0% for Reactive Black B and 63.6% for Remazol Blue at 953.2, 864.9 and 1031.3 mg l⁻¹ initial dye concentrations respectively within 24 h incubation period. When the Reactive Red RB was used, approximately 82–98% total color removal was obtained at between 96.2 and 953.2 mg l⁻¹ initial dye concentrations after 12 h of incubation at 35 °C. These results show that our enriched mixed cultures have the potential to serve as an excellent biomass for the use in reactive dye removal from wastewaters under anaerobic conditions.     

Response surface methodological analysis on biohydrogen production by enriched anaerobic cultures

The individual and interactive effects of pH, temperature and substrate concentration on the biohydrogen production from sucrose by mixed anaerobic cultures were investigated in this study. A central composite design and response surface methodology (RSM) were employed in planning the experiments, in order to determine the optimum conditions for biohydrogen production. Experimental results show that pH, temperature and substrate concentration all had a significant influence on specific hydrogen production potential (P_s) and the maximum hydrogen production rate (R_max) individually. Temperature and sucrose concentration, pH and temperature were interdependent or there was a significant interaction on P_s and R_max. Substrate concentration and pH were slightly interdependent, or their interactive effect on P_s and R_max was not significant. A maximum P_s of 252 mL H₂/g sucrose was estimated under the optimum conditions of pH 5.5, temperature 34.8 °C and sucrose concentration of 24.8 g/L, while a maximum R_max of 1511 mL H₂/h was calculated under the optimum conditions of pH 5.5, temperature 35.5 °C and sucrose concentration of 25.4 g/L. The experiment results show that the RSM with the central composite design was useful for optimizing the biohydrogen-producing process.     

Glycerol fermentation by (open) mixed cultures: a chemostat study

Glycerol is an important byproduct of bioethanol and biodiesel production processes. This study aims to evaluate its potential application in mixed culture fermentation processes to produce bulk chemicals. Two chemostat reactors were operated in parallel, one fed with glycerol and the other with glucose. Both reactors operated at a pH of 8 and a dilution rate of 0.1 h(-1). Glycerol was mainly converted into ethanol and formate. When operated under substrate limiting conditions, 60% of the substrate carbon was converted into ethanol and formate in a 1:1 ratio. This product spectrum showed sensitivity to the substrate concentration, which partly shifted towards 1,3-propanediol and acetate in a 2:1 ratio at increasing substrate concentrations. Glucose fermentation mainly generated acetate, ethanol and butyrate. At higher substrate concentrations, acetate and ethanol were the dominant products. Co-fermentations of glucose-glycerol were performed with both mixed cultures, previously cultivated on glucose and on glycerol. The product spectrum of the two experiments was very similar: the main products were ethanol and butyrate (38% and 34% of the COD converted, respectively). The product spectrum obtained for glucose and glycerol fermentation could be explained based on the general metabolic pathways found for fermentative microorganisms and on the metabolic constraints: maximization of the ATP production rate and balancing the reducing equivalents involved.     

Factors affecting microbial growth and polysaccharide production during the fermentation of Xanthomonas campestris cultures

Fermentations of Xanthomonas campestris have been carried out on laboratory and pilot plant scales using various organic nitrogen sources in order to test their effectiveness in polysaccharide (xanthan) production. It was discovered that high nitrogen concentrations give highest yields of crude product and result in a need for only short fermentation times to achieve maximum product formation. These products, however, have inferior solution rheology to those produced from low-nitrogen media due partly to their high concentrations of co-precipitated microbial cells and partly to differences in tertiary molecular structure.     

木糖发酵产氢菌的筛选及其生长产氢特性研究

利用改进的Hungate厌氧技术, 从牛粪堆肥中分离出一株能有效利用木糖发酵产氢的中温菌HR-1。通过16S rRNA系统发育树分析表明, 菌株 HR-1 与丙酮丁醇梭菌Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 相似性最高为96%, 结合生理生化和生长特性分析表明, HR-1是梭菌属Clostridium的一个新种, 命名为Clostridium sp. HR-1。菌株HR-1为单胞生长的规则杆状菌(0.3 mm ~0.6 mm)×(1.4 mm~2.3 mm), 革兰氏染色为阴性, 无荚膜、无鞭毛、表面光滑、无明显凸起, 专性厌氧菌。HR-1可在10°C~45°C, pH 4.0~10.0条件下生长; 37°C和pH 8.0分别为其最适生长条件。发酵PYG的主要发酵产物有氢气、二氧化碳、乙酸、丁酸及少量乙醇。HR-1可以利用有机氮源和无机氮源生长并产氢, 酵母提取物是其最佳产氢氮源。HR-1在木糖浓度为3 g/L和初始pH 6.5条件下, 其比产氢量为1.84 mol-H2/mol-木糖, 最大比产氢速率为10.52 mmol H2/h·g-细胞干重。HR-1可以亦利用葡萄糖、半乳糖、纤维二糖、甘露糖和果糖等碳源生长并发酵产氢, 发酵葡萄糖时比产氢量为2.36 mol-H2/mol-葡萄糖。