The Activity of Xylose Reductase and Xylitol Dehydrogenase in Yeasts

The activity and the cofactor specificity of xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase were studied in extracts of yeasts from the genera Candida, Kluyveromyces, Pachysolen, Pichia,and Torulopsis grown under microaerobic conditions. It was found that xylitol dehydrogenase in all of the yeast species studied is specific for NAD⁺; xylose reductase in the xylitol-producing species C. didensiae, C. intermediae, C. parapsilosis, C. silvanorum, C. tropicalis, Kl. fragilis, Kl. marxianus, P. guillermondii, andT. molishiama is specific for NADPH; and xylose reductase in the ethanol-producing species P. stipitis, C. shehatae, and Pa. tannophilus is specific for both NADPH and NADH.     

Activity of the key enzymes in xylose-assimilating yeasts at different rates of oxygen transfer to the fermentation medium

The activities of xylitol dehydrogenase and xylose reductase in the yeasts Candida shehatae, C. didensiae, C. intermediae, C. tropicalis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia stipitis, P. guillermondii, Pachysolen tannophilus, and Torulopsis molishiama were studied at different oxygen transfer rates (OTRs) to the fermentation medium (0, 5, and 140 mmol O2/(1 h)). The activities of these enzymes were maximum in the yeasts P. stipitis and C. shehatae. The xylitol dehydrogenase of all the yeasts was NAD-dependent, irrespective of the intensity of aeration. The xylose reductase of the yeasts C. didensiae, C. intermediae, C. tropicalis, Kl. marxianus, P. guillermondii, and T. molishiama was NADPH-dependent, whereas the xylose reductase of P. stipitis, C. shehatae, and Pa. tannophilus was specific for both NADPH and NADH. The effect of OTR on the activities of the different forms of xylitol dehydrogenase and xylose reductase in the xylose-assimilating yeasts is discussed.     

The Activity of Key Enzymes in Xylose-Assimilating Yeasts at Different Rates of Oxygen Transfer to the Fermentation Medium

The activities of xylitol dehydrogenase and xylose reductase in the yeasts Candida shehatae, C. didensiae, C. intermediae, C. tropicalis, Kluyveromyces marxianus, Pichia stipitis, P. guillermondii, Pachysolen tannophilus, and Torulopsis molishiama were studied at different oxygen transfer rates (OTRs) to the fermentation medium (0, 5, and 140 mmol O₂/(l h)). The activities of these enzymes were maximum in the yeasts P. stipitis and C. shehatae. The xylitol dehydrogenase of all the yeasts was NAD⁺-dependent, irrespective of the intensity of aeration. The xylose reductase of the yeasts C. didensiae, C. intermediae, C. tropicalis, Kl. marxianus, P. guillermondii, and T. molishiama was NADPH-dependent, whereas the xylose reductase of P. stipitis, C. shehatae, and Pa. tannophilus was specific for both NADPH and NADH. The effect of OTR on the activities of the different forms of xylitol dehydrogenase and xylose reductase in xylose-assimilating yeasts is discussed.     

一种基因工程改造的NADH高亲和力木糖还原酶突变基因可促进酿酒酵母发酵木糖生成乙醇

在导入表达毕赤酵母(Pichia stipitis)木糖还原酶(xylose reductase,XR)和木糖醇脱氢酶(xylitol dehydrogenase,XDH)基因的重组酿酒酵母中,木糖还原酶活性主要依赖辅酶NADPH,木糖醇脱氢酶活性依赖辅酶 NAD+,两者的辅助因子不同导致细胞内电子氧化还原的不平衡,是造成木糖醇积累,影响木糖代谢和乙醇产量的主要原因之一.将经过基因工程改造获得的NADH高亲和力的木糖还原酶突变基因m1,与毕赤酵母木糖醇脱氢酶(PsXDH)基因xyl2共转染酿酒酵母AH109,以转染毕赤酵母木糖还原酶(PsXR)基因xyl1和xyl2重组质粒的酵母细胞为对照菌株,在SC/-Leu/-Trp营养缺陷型培养基中进行筛选,获得的阳性转化子分别命名为AH-M-XDH和AH-XR-XDH.重组酵母在限制氧通气条件下对木糖和葡萄糖进行共发酵摇瓶培养,HPLC检测发酵底物的消耗和代谢产物的产出情况.结果显示,与对照菌株AH-XR-XDH相比,AH-M-XDH的木糖利用率明显提高,乙醇得率增加了16%,木糖醇产生下降了41.4%.结果证实,通过基因工程改造的木糖代谢关键酶,可用于酿酒酵母发酵木糖生产乙醇,其能通过改善酿酒酵母细胞内氧化还原失衡的问题,提高木糖利用率和乙醇产率.     

Enhancement of xylitol production in Candida tropicalis by co-expression of two genes involved in pentose phosphate pathway

The yeast Candida tropicalis produces xylitol, a natural, low-calorie sweetener whose metabolism does not require insulin, by catalytic activity of NADPH-dependent xylose reductase. The oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is a major basis for NADPH biosynthesis in C. tropicalis. In order to increase xylitol production rate, xylitol dehydrogenase gene (XYL2)disrupted C. tropicalis strain BSXDH-3 was engineered to co-express zwf and gnd genes which, respectively encodes glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGDH), under the control of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) promoter. NADPH-dependent xylitol production was higher in the engineered strain, termed "PP", than in BSXDH-3. In fermentation experiments using glycerol as a co-substrate with xylose, strain PP showed volumetric xylitol productivity of 1.25 g l(-1) h(-1), 21% higher than the rate (1.04 g l(-1) h(-1)) in BSXDH-3. This is the first report of increased metabolic flux toward PPP in C. tropicalis for NADPH regeneration and enhanced xylitol production.     

Physiological and enzymatic comparison between Pichia stipitis and recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae on xylose fermentation

In order to better understand the differences in xylose metabolism between natural xylose-utilizing Pichia stipitis and metabolically engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae, we constructed a series of recombinant S. cerevisiae strains with different xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase/xylulokinase activity ratios by integrating xylitol dehydrogenase gene (XYL2) into the chromosome with variable copies and heterogeneously expressing xylose reductase gene (XYL1) and endogenous xylulokinase gene (XKS1). The strain with the highest specific xylose uptake rate and ethanol productivity on pure xylose fermentation was selected to compare to P. stipitis under oxygen-limited condition. Physiological and enzymatic comparison showed that they have different patterns of xylose metabolism and NADPH generation.     

Dynamic control over feedback regulatory mechanisms improves NADPH flux and xylitol biosynthesis in engineered E. coli

We report improved NADPH flux and xylitol biosynthesis in engineered E. coli. Xylitol is produced from xylose via an NADPH dependent reductase. We utilize 2-stage dynamic metabolic control to compare two approaches to optimize xylitol biosynthesis, a stoichiometric approach, wherein competitive fluxes are decreased, and a regulatory approach wherein the levels of key regulatory metabolites are reduced. The stoichiometric and regulatory approaches lead to a 20-fold and 90-fold improvement in xylitol production, respectively. Strains with reduced levels of enoyl-ACP reductase and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, led to altered metabolite pools resulting in the activation of the membrane bound transhydrogenase and an NADPH generation pathway, consisting of pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase coupled with NADPH dependent ferredoxin reductase, leading to increased NADPH fluxes, despite a reduction in NADPH pools. These strains produced titers of 200 g/L of xylitol from xylose at 86% of theoretical yield in instrumented bioreactors. We expect dynamic control over the regulation of the membrane bound transhydrogenase as well as NADPH production through pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase to broadly enable improved NADPH dependent bioconversions or production via NADPH dependent metabolic pathways.     

Elevation of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity increases xylitol production in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To increase the NAD(P)H-dependent xylitol production in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae harboring the xylose reductase gene from Pichia stipitis, the activity of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PDH) encoded by the ZWF1 gene was amplified to increase the metabolic flux toward the pentose phosphate pathway and NADPH regeneration. Compared with the control strain, the specific G6PDH activity was enhanced approximately 6.0-fold by overexpression of the ZWF1 gene. Amplification in the G6PDH activity clearly improved the NAD(P)H-dependent xylitol production in the recombinant S. cerevisiae strain. With the aid of an elevated G6PDH level, maximum xylitol concentration of 86 g/l was achieved with productivity of 2.0 g/l h in the glucose-limited fed-batch cultivation, corresponding to 25% improvement in volumetric xylitol productivity compared with the recombinant S. cerevisiae strain containing the xylose reductase gene only.     

Role of D-ribose as a cometabolite in D-xylose metabolism by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

The influence of D-ribose as a cosubstrate on the uptake and metabolism of the non-growth substrate D-xylose by Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 26602 was investigated. Xylose was taken up by means of low- and high-affinity glucose transport systems. In cells exposed for 2 days to a mixture of xylose and ribose, only the high-affinity system could be detected. Glucose strongly inhibited the transport of xylose by both systems. Starvation or exposure to either xylose or ribose resulted in inactivation of xylose transport, which did not occur in the presence of a mixture of ribose and xylose. A constitutive non-glucose-repressible NADPH2-dependent xylose reductase with a specific activity of ca. 5 mU/mg of protein that converted xylose to xylitol was present in a glucose-grown culture. No activity converting xylitol to xylulose or vice versa was found in crude extracts. Both xylose and ribose were converted to their corresponding polyols, xylitol and ribitol, as indicated by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. Furthermore, ethanol was detected, and this implied that pathways for the complete catabolism of xylose and ribose exist. However, the NADPH2 required for the conversion of xylose to xylitol is apparently not supplied by the pentose phosphate pathway since the ethanol produced from D-[1-13C]xylose was labelled only in the C-2 position. Acetic acid was produced from ribose and may assist in the conversion of xylose to xylitol by cycling NADPH2.     

Metabolic engineering for improved fermentation of pentoses by yeasts

The fermentation of xylose is essential for the bioconversion of lignocellulose to fuels and chemicals, but wild-type strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae do not metabolize xylose, so researchers have engineered xylose metabolism in this yeast. Glucose transporters mediate xylose uptake, but no transporter specific for xylose has yet been identified. Over-expressing genes for aldose (xylose) reductase, xylitol dehydrogenase and moderate levels of xylulokinase enable xylose assimilation and fermentation, but a balanced supply of NAD(P) and NAD(P)H must be maintained to avoid xylitol production. Reducing production of NADPH by blocking the oxidative pentose phosphate cycle can reduce xylitol formation, but this occurs at the expense of xylose assimilation. Respiration is critical for growth on xylose by both native xylose-fermenting yeasts and recombinant S, cerevisiae. Anaerobic growth by recombinant mutants has been reported. Reducing the respiration capacity of xylose-metabolizing yeasts increases ethanol production. Recently, two routes for arabinose metabolism have been engineered in S. cerevisiae and adapted strains of Pichia stipitis have been shown to ferment hydrolysates with ethanol yields of 0.45 g g^–1 sugar consumed, so commercialization seems feasible for some applications.     

Construction of xylose-assimilating Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The xylose reductase gene originating from Pichia stipitis was subcloned on an expression vector with the enolase promoter and terminator from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The transformants of S. cerevisiae harboring the resultant plasmids produced xylose reductase constitutively at a rate about 3 times higher than P. stipitis, but could not assimilate xylose due to the deficient conversion of xylitol to xylulose. The xylitol dehydrogenase gene was also isolated from the gene library of P. stipitis by plaque hybridization using a probe specific for its N-terminal amino acid sequence. The gene transferred into S. cerevisiae was well expressed. Furthermore, high expressions of the xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase genes in S. cerevisiae were achieved by introducing both genes on the same or coexisting plasmids. The transformants could grow on a medium containing xylose as the sole carbon source, but ethanol production from xylose was less than that by P. stipitis and a significant amount of xylitol was excreted into the culture broth.     

Comparing the xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase and xylose isomerase pathways in arabinose and xylose fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Background

Ethanolic fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass is a sustainable option for the production of bioethanol. This process would greatly benefit from recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains also able to ferment, besides the hexose sugar fraction, the pentose sugars, arabinose and xylose. Different pathways can be introduced in S. cerevisiae to provide arabinose and xylose utilisation. In this study, the bacterial arabinose isomerase pathway was combined with two different xylose utilisation pathways: the xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase and xylose isomerase pathways, respectively, in genetically identical strains. The strains were compared with respect to aerobic growth in arabinose and xylose batch culture and in anaerobic batch fermentation of a mixture of glucose, arabinose and xylose.

Results

The specific aerobic arabinose growth rate was identical, 0.03 h^-1, for the xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase and xylose isomerase strain. The xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase strain displayed higher aerobic growth rate on xylose, 0.14 h^-1, and higher specific xylose consumption rate in anaerobic batch fermentation, 0.09 g (g cells)^-1 h^-1 than the xylose isomerase strain, which only reached 0.03 h^-1 and 0.02 g (g cells)^-1h^-1, respectively. Whereas the xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase strain produced higher ethanol yield on total sugars, 0.23 g g^-1 compared with 0.18 g g^-1 for the xylose isomerase strain, the xylose isomerase strain achieved higher ethanol yield on consumed sugars, 0.41 g g^-1 compared with 0.32 g g^-1 for the xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase strain. Anaerobic fermentation of a mixture of glucose, arabinose and xylose resulted in higher final ethanol concentration, 14.7 g l^-1 for the xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase strain compared with 11.8 g l^-1 for the xylose isomerase strain, and in higher specific ethanol productivity, 0.024 g (g cells)^-1 h^-1 compared with 0.01 g (g cells)^-1 h^-1 for the xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase strain and the xylose isomerase strain, respectively.

Conclusion

The combination of the xylose reductase/xylitol dehydrogenase pathway and the bacterial arabinose isomerase pathway resulted in both higher pentose sugar uptake and higher overall ethanol production than the combination of the xylose isomerase pathway and the bacterial arabinose isomerase pathway. Moreover, the flux through the bacterial arabinose pathway did not increase when combined with the xylose isomerase pathway. This suggests that the low activity of the bacterial arabinose pathway cannot be ascribed to arabitol formation via the xylose reductase enzyme.     

Xylose reductase from Pichia stipitis with altered coenzyme preference improves ethanolic xylose fermentation by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Background  

Xylose reductase (XR) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) from Pichia stipitis are the two enzymes most commonly used in recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains engineered for xylose utilization. The availability of NAD⁺ for XDH is limited during anaerobic xylose fermentation because of the preference of XR for NADPH. This in turn results in xylitol formation and reduced ethanol yield. The coenzyme preference of P. stipitis XR was changed by site-directed mutagenesis with the aim to engineer it towards NADH-preference.     

Xylose metabolism in a thermophilic mouldMalbranchea pulchella var.sulfurea TMD-8

The thermophilic mouldMalbranchea pulchella var.sulfurea TMD-8 produced extracellular xylanases in wheat straw hemicellulose as well as wheat straw. This mould utilized xylose less efficiently than glucose. Mycelial extracts contained xylose isomerase, xylose reductase, and xylitol dehydrogenase. Xylose isomerase was less thermostable than that from other microorganisms. However, xylitol dehydrogenase and xylose reductase were relatively more thermostable in comparison with these enzymes from other microorganisms. The affinity of xylose isomerase for xylose was very high (Km 10mM), while that of xylose reductase was low (Km 23.5mM). The xylitol dehydrogenase exhibited relatively high affinity for xylitol (Km 0.02mM). The activity of this enzyme, however, declined steeply, in the alkaline range. This is the first report on the occurrence of three intracellular enzymes, xylose isomerase, xylose reductase, and xylitol dehydrogenase in a thermophilic mould, which play an important role in xylose metabolism.     

Direct evidence for a xylose metabolic pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Xylose transport, xylose reductase, and xylitol dehydrogenase activities are demonstrated in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The enzymes in the xylose catabolic pathway necessary for the conversion of xylose to xylulose are present, although S. cerevisiae cannot grow on xylose as a sole carbon source. Xylose transport is less efficient than glucose transport, and its rate is dependent upon aeration. Xylose reductase appears to be a xylose inducible enzyme and xylitol dehydrogenase activity is constitutive, although both are repressed by glucose. Both xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase activities are five- to tenfold lower in S. cerevisiae as compared to Candida utilis. In vivo conversion of (14)C-xylose in S. cerevisiae is demonstrated and xylitol is detected, although no significant levels of any other (14)C-labeled metabolites (e. g., ethanol) are observed.     

Effect of Oxygenation on Xylose Fermentation by Pichia stipitis

The effect of oxygen limitation on xylose fermentation by Pichia stipitis (CBS 6054) was investigated in continuous culture. The maximum specific ethanol productivity (0.20 g of ethanol g dry weight⁻¹ h⁻¹) and ethanol yield (0.48 g/g) was reached at an oxygen transfer rate below 1 mmol/liter per h. In the studied range of oxygenation, the xylose reductase (EC 1.1.1.21) and xylitol dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.9) activities were constant as well as the ratio between the NADPH and NADH activities of xylose reductase. No xylitol production was found. The pyruvate decarboxylase (EC 4.1.1.1) activity increased and the malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.1.1.37) activity decreased with decreasing oxygenation. With decreasing oxygenation, the intracellular intermediary metabolites sedoheptulose 7-phosphate, glucose 6-phosphate, fructose 1,6-diphosphate, and malate accumulated slightly while pyruvate decreased. The ratio of the xylose uptake rate under aerobic conditions, in contrast to that under anaerobic assay conditions, increased with increasing oxygenation in the culture. The results are discussed in relation to the energy level in the cell, the redox balance, and the mitochondrial function.     

The structure of apo and holo forms of xylose reductase,a dimeric aldo-keto reductase from Candida tenuis

Xylose reductase is a homodimeric oxidoreductase dependent on NADPH or NADH and belongs to the largely monomeric aldo-keto reductase superfamily of proteins. It catalyzes the first step in the assimilation of xylose, an aldose found to be a major constituent monosaccharide of renewable plant hemicellulosic material, into yeast metabolic pathways. It does this by reducing open chain xylose to xylitol, which is reoxidized to xylulose by xylitol dehydrogenase and metabolically integrated via the pentose phosphate pathway. No structure has yet been determined for a xylose reductase, a dimeric aldo-keto reductase or a family 2 aldo-keto reductase. The structures of the Candida tenuis xylose reductase apo- and holoenzyme, which crystallize in spacegroup C2 with different unit cells, have been determined to 2.2 A resolution and an R-factor of 17.9 and 20.8%, respectively. Residues responsible for mediating the novel dimeric interface include Asp-178, Arg-181, Lys-202, Phe-206, Trp-313, and Pro-319. Alignments with other superfamily members indicate that these interactions are conserved in other dimeric xylose reductases but not throughout the remainder of the oligomeric aldo-keto reductases, predicting alternate modes of oligomerization for other families. An arrangement of side chains in a catalytic triad shows that Tyr-52 has a conserved function as a general acid. The loop that folds over the NAD(P)H cosubstrate is disordered in the apo form but becomes ordered upon cosubstrate binding. A slow conformational isomerization of this loop probably accounts for the observed rate-limiting step involving release of cosubstrate. Xylose binding (K(m) = 87 mM) is mediated by interactions with a binding pocket that is more polar than a typical aldo-keto reductase. Modeling of xylose into the active site of the holoenzyme using ordered waters as a guide for sugar hydroxyls suggests a convincing mode of substrate binding.     

Reduced oxidative pentose phosphate pathway flux in recombinant xylose-utilizing Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains improves the ethanol yield from xylose

In recombinant, xylose-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae, about 30% of the consumed xylose is converted to xylitol. Xylitol production results from a cofactor imbalance, since xylose reductase uses both NADPH and NADH, while xylitol dehydrogenase uses only NAD(+). In this study we increased the ethanol yield and decreased the xylitol yield by lowering the flux through the NADPH-producing pentose phosphate pathway. The pentose phosphate pathway was blocked either by disruption of the GND1 gene, one of the isogenes of 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase, or by disruption of the ZWF1 gene, which encodes glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase. Decreasing the phosphoglucose isomerase activity by 90% also lowered the pentose phosphate pathway flux. These modifications all resulted in lower xylitol yield and higher ethanol yield than in the control strains. TMB3255, carrying a disruption of ZWF1, gave the highest ethanol yield (0.41 g g(-1)) and the lowest xylitol yield (0.05 g g(-1)) reported for a xylose-fermenting recombinant S. cerevisiae strain, but also an 84% lower xylose consumption rate. The low xylose fermentation rate is probably due to limited NADPH-mediated xylose reduction. Metabolic flux modeling of TMB3255 confirmed that the NADPH-producing pentose phosphate pathway was blocked and that xylose reduction was mediated only by NADH, leading to a lower rate of xylose consumption. These results indicate that xylitol production is strongly connected to the flux through the oxidative part of the pentose phosphate pathway.     

The behavior of key enzymes of xylose metabolism on the xylitol production by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Candida guilliermondii</Emphasis> grown in hemicellulosic hydrolysate

A variety of raw materials have been used in fermentation process. This study shows the use of rice straw hemicellulosic hydrolysate, as the only source of nutrient, to produce high added-value products. In the present work, the activity of the enzymes xylose reductase (XR); xylitol dehydrogenase (XD); and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) during cultivation of Candida guilliermondii on rice straw hemicellulosic hydrolysate was measured and correlated with xylitol production under different pH values (around 4.5 and 7.5) and initial xylose concentration (around 30 and 70 g l(-1)). Independent of the pH value and xylose concentration evaluated, the title of XD remained constant. On the other hand, the volumetric activity of G6PD increased whereas the level of XR decreased when the initial xylose concentration was increased from 30 to 70 g l(-1). The highest values of xylitol productivity (Q (P) approximately 0.40 g l(-1)) and yield factor (Y (P/S) approximately 0.60 g g(-1)) were reached at highest G6PD/XR ratio and lowest XR/XD ratio. These results suggest that NADPH concentrations influence the formation of xylitol more than the activity ratios of the enzymes XR and XD. Thus, an optimal rate between G6PD and XR must be reached in order to optimize the xylitol production.     

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.