Fed-batch fermentation for production of Kluyveromyces marxianusFII 510700 cultivated on a lactose-based medium

A strain of Kluyveromyces marxianus was grown in batch culture in lactose-based media at varying initial lactose concentrations (10–60 g L^–1) at 30°C, pH 5.0, dissolved oxygen concentrations greater than 20%. Increasing the concentration of mineral salts three-fold at 40 g L^–1 and 60 g L^–1 initial lactose concentration showed only a small increase in the yield of biomass, from 0.38 g g^–1 to 0.41 g g^–1, indicating that the initial batch cultures were not significantly nutrient- (mineral salts)-limited. A relatively high biomass concentration (105 g L^–1) was obtained in fed-batch culture following extended lactose feeding. An average specific growth rate (0.27 h^–1), biomass yield (0.38 g g^–1) and overall productivity (2.9 g L^–1 h^–1) were obtained for these fed-batch conditions. This fed-batch protocol provides a strategy for achieving relatively high concentrations and productivities of K. marxianus on other lactose-based substrate streams (e.g., whey) from the dairy industry.     

The yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus and its biotechnological potential

Strains belonging to the yeast species Kluyveromyces marxianus have been isolated from a great variety of habitats, which results in a high metabolic diversity and a substantial degree of intraspecific polymorphism. As a consequence, several different biotechnological applications have been investigated with this yeast: production of enzymes (beta-galactosidase, beta-glucosidase, inulinase, and polygalacturonases, among others), of single-cell protein, of aroma compounds, and of ethanol (including high-temperature and simultaneous saccharification-fermentation processes); reduction of lactose content in food products; production of bioingredients from cheese-whey; bioremediation; as an anticholesterolemic agent; and as a host for heterologous protein production. Compared to its congener and model organism, Kluyveromyces lactis, the accumulated knowledge on K. marxianus is much smaller and spread over a number of different strains. Although there is no publicly available genome sequence for this species, 20% of the CBS 712 strain genome was randomly sequenced (Llorente et al. in FEBS Lett 487:71-75, 2000). In spite of these facts, K. marxianus can envisage a great biotechnological future because of some of its qualities, such as a broad substrate spectrum, thermotolerance, high growth rates, and less tendency to ferment when exposed to sugar excess, when compared to K. lactis. To increase our knowledge on the biology of this species and to enable the potential applications to be converted into industrial practice, a more systematic approach, including the careful choice of (a) reference strain(s) by the scientific community, would certainly be of great value.     

Kluyveromyces marxianus: a potential source of diacetyl reductase

Kluyveromyces marxianus had a higher specific activity of diacetyl reductase (EC 1.1.1.5) than all other organisms previously reported. The enzyme was NADH-dependent and irreversibly catalysed the conversion of diacetyl to acetoin with an optimum pH of 7.0. It was stable at 40°C but lost 50% of its activity at 50°C in 30 min. The K _m and V _max values for diacetyl were 1.8 mm and 0.053 mm/min, respectively.The authors are with the Department of Food Science and Technology, Comell University, Geneva, New York 14456, USA     

Behaviour of the yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus var. marxianus during its autolysis

The lactic yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus var.marxianus (formerly K. fragilis) autolyzates at faster rate than Saccharomyces cerevisiae. During K. marxianus autolysis, quite similar release kinetics were observed for intracellular space markers (potassium ions, nucleotides), cell-wall components (polysaccharides, N-acetyl-D-Glucosamine) and non specific products (amino nitrogen). By Scanning Electronic Microscopy examination, no cell burst was observed, but a variation in cell shape (from ellipsoidal to cylindrical), as well as a 43% decrease in the internal volume were observed. The mechanism proposed for S. cerevisiae autolysis appeared also likely for K. marxianus.Abbreviations NacGlc N-acetyl-D-glucosamine - x total biomass (dry cellular weight) concentration     

Utilisation of cheese whey as an alternative growth medium for recombinant strains of Kluyveromyces marxianus

Kluyveromyces marxianus KMDB-1, a plasmid-bearing recombinant, not carrying any particular gene of relevance, derived from auxotrophic strain KMS-2 (ura ^–), grew in cheese whey with a maximum specific growth rate of 0.34 h^–1. This recombinant strain showed the same lactose uptake and extracellular protease production kinetics as the wild type CBS6556 with no evidence of catabolite repression. The plasmid was retained in 50% of cells after 36 h of batch culture. The presence of this vector in Kluyveromyces marxianus, which possesses no natural plasmids, together with the absence of any metabolic loading effect, creates a suitable microbial system for cheese whey processing for potential value-added product formation.     

Interfertility as basis for the delimitation of Kluyveromyces marxianus

Hybridization studies between strains of Kluyveromyces marxianus and the remaining species of the genus involving the use of auxotrophic mutants, are reported. K. marxianus was found to be interfertile with K. bulgaricus, K. cicerisporus, K. dobzhanskii, K. drosophilarum, K. fragilis, K. lactis, K. phaseolosporus, K. vanudenii and K. wikenii. Accepting interfertility as criterion for conspecificity, these nine syngamous taxa are relegated to the status of biotypes or physiologic races of a single species K. marxianus.     

Thermotolerant single cell protein production byKluyveromyces marxianus var.marxianus

Summary Amino acid analyses were undertaken on single cell protein (SCP) produced by thermotolerant strains ofKluyveromyces marxianus var.marxianus grown on sugar cane molasses at 40°C. The maximum conversion of available sugars to biomass at 45°C was only 10.8% (g dry wt.·g^–1 total sugars). The amino acid composition of the SCP did not differ markedly from that reported for other yeast species.     

The use of the replicating pDblet plasmid as a cloning vector with enhanced stability in Kluyveromyces marxianus

The replicating plasmid, pDblet, transformed the budding yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus to an efficiency of 10⁴ transformant g^–1 DNA. Transformed cells showed 1% of segregation rate without affecting their growth rate of 0.69 h^–1 and glucose consumption. These results were similar or better than the commonly used pE1 plasmid and suggests that pDblet can be used for cloning genes in K. marxianus.     

Studies on metal resistance system inKluyveromyces marxianus

Through preliminary plate tests,Kluyveromyces marxianus was found to be much more resistant to toxic heavy metals compared to aCUP1 ^R strain ofSaccharomyces cerevisiae. Specific growth rate and maximum dry weights affected by increasing metal concentrations were determined to obtain precise patterns of resistance. Metal biosorption was also monitored during the course of growth in synthetic media containing respective metals at 0.5 mM final concentration. Although Zn- and Co-binding was negligible, as much as 90% of silver, 60% of copper, and 65% of cadmium were found to be absorbed by the end of active growth. Analysis of the protein profiles ofS. cerevisiae andK. marxianus on metal exposure suggested constitutive production of metallothionein inK. marxianus. Furthermore, a smaller protein synthesized byK. marxianus on induction by silver or cadmium accounts for the high resistance of the organism to these metals.     

Toxin-binding properties of cytochrome P450 in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces marxianus

Microsomes from Kluyveromyces marxianus GK1005 examined by carbon monoxide difference spectroscopy showed no evidence of cytochrome P450, in contrast to microsomes isolated from a control strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Benzo[a]pyrene produced a typical Type I-binding spectrum with microsomes of both yeasts, with K _s values of 82 M (S. cerevisiae) and 70 M (K. marxianus). While aflatoxin B₁ generated a typical Type I-binding spectrum with microsomes from S. cerevisiae (K _s of 178 M), the toxin did not produce a recognisable binding spectrum with microsomes from K. marxianus.     

NMR confirmation of an alkali-insoluble glucan from Kluyveromyces marxianus cultivated on a lactose-based medium

Yeast cells of Kluyveromyces marxianus grown in a sterile lactose-based medium, were extracted with sodium hydroxide to give a fraction of alkali-insoluble yeast (AIY) glucan. From ¹H- and ¹³C-NMR characterization it was concluded that the glucan consisted mostly of (1 3) linkages and was similar to that obtained from Saccharomyces cerevisiae used in the preparations for skin revitalization and repair. The molecular weight of the glucan was determined to be approximately 3 × 10⁵ Da. Therefore, K. marxianus grown on a lactose-based medium similar to whey, a waste stream of the dairy industry, could be a commercial source of (1 3) glucans for use in the food and pharmaceutical industries.     

A simple and rapid method for lithium acetate-mediated transformation of Kluyveromyces marxianus cells

Efficient plasmid transformation of Kluyveromyces marxianus cells of 1.9 × 10³ transformant μg⁻¹ DNA with an episomal plasmid was achieved by the use of a simple lithium acetate method with the addition of 10 mM DTT and an increased heat shock temperature of 47 °C. This method is shown to be also efficient for replicative plasmids. Therefore, we suggest its use as a routine method to transform K. marxianus cells. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Aroma compounds produced by Kluyveromyces marxianus in solid state fermentation on a packed bed column bioreactor

Studies were carried out for the production of aroma compounds by Kluyveromyces marxianus grown on cassava bagasse in solid state fermentation using packed bed reactors, testing two different aeration rates. Respirometric analysis was used to follow the growth of the culture. Headspace analysis of the culture by gas chromatography showed the production of 11 compounds, out of which nine were identified. Ethyl acetate, ethanol and acetaldehyde were the major compounds produced. Lower aeration rate (0.06l h^–1 g^–1 of initial dry matter) increased total volatile (TV) production and the rate of production was also increased at this aeration rate. Using an aeration rate of 0.06l h^–1 g^–1 maximum TV concentrations were reached at 24 h and at 40 h with 0.12l h^–1 g^–1.     

Production of High-content Galacto-oligosaccharide by Enzyme Catalysis and Fermentation with Kluyveromyces marxianus

Of three β-galactosidases from Aspergillus oryzae, Kluyveromyces lactis and Bacillus sp., used for the production of low-content galacto- oligosaccharides (GOS) from lactose, the latter produced the highest yield of trisaccharides and tetrasaccharides. GOS production was enhanced by mixing β-galactosidase glucose oxidase. The low-content GOS syrups, produced either by β-galactosidase alone or by the mixed enzyme system, were subjected to the fermentation by Kluyveromyces marxianus, whereby glucose, galactose, lactose and other disaccharides were depleted, resulting in up to 97% and 98% on a dry weight basis of high-content GOS with the yields of 31% and 32%, respectively. An erratum to this article can be found at     

Removal of skim milk lactose by fermentation using free and immobilized Kluyveromyces marxianus cells

Kluyveromyces marxianus CBS 6164 cells, free or immobilized in Ca-alginate (2%) beads, are able to consume more than 99% of the skim milk lactose in anaerobic conditions. In batches at 30 °C, the lactose consumption after 3.5 h of skim milk fermentation by 30 and 50 g free K. marxianus cells per liter was around 99 and 99.6% respectively, with an approximate conversion of lactose to ethanol and CO₂ of 80%. The immobilized cells, easy to handle and showing a faster and easier separation from the fermented medium compared to the free ones, were used in more than 23 batches (cycles of re-use) without losing their activity.     

Short communication: Ethanol production from cellulose at 45°C using a batch-fed system containing alginate-immobilized Kluyveromyces marxianus IMB3

The thermotolerant yeast, Kluyveromyces marxianus IMB3, was grown in batch culture at 45°C on cellulose-containing media, supplemented with exogenous cellulase activity. At various stages during fermentation, both substrate and enzyme were added in batch mode and fermentation was continued for 220 h. Ethanol production increased to 20 g/l at 200 h, representing 45% of the maximum theoretical yield. In subsequent experiments, the organism was immobilized in calcium alginate beads and these were used in a similar, batch-fed system at 45°C. Again, fermentation was continued for 220 h and ethanol production increased to its maximum, of 28 g/l, within 100 h and this represented in excess of 60% of the maximum theoretical yield.     

Characterization of the superoxide dismutase SOD1 gene of Kluyveromyces marxianus L3 and improved production of SOD activity

Superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity is one major defense line against oxidative stress for all of the aerobic organisms, and industrial production of this enzyme is highly demanded. The Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene (KmSOD1) of Kluyveromyces marxianus L3 was cloned and characterized. The deduced KmSod1p protein shares 86% and 71% of identity with Kluyveromyces lactis and Saccharomyces cerevisiae Sod1p, respectively. The characteristic motifs and the amino acid residues involved in coordinating copper and zinc and in enzymatic function were conserved. To the aim of developing a microbial production of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase, we engineered the K. marxianus L3 strain with the multicopy plasmid YG-KmSOD1 harboring the KmSOD1 gene. The production of KmSOD1p in K. marxianus L3 and K. marxianus L3 (pYG-KmSOD1) in response to different compositions of the culture medium was evaluated. The highest specific activity (472 U_SOD mg_prot ⁻¹) and the highest volumetric yield (8.8 × 10⁵ U_SOD l⁻¹) were obtained by the recombinant strain overexpressing KmSOD1 in the presence of Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺ supplements to the culture media. The best performing culture conditions were positively applied to a laboratory scale fed-batch process reaching a volumetric yield of 1.4 × 10⁶ U_SOD l⁻¹. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Molecular probes for the detection of Kluyveromyces marxianus chromosomal DNA in electrophoretic karyotypes of intergeneric protoplast fusion products

Random genomic DNA fragments from Kluyveromyces marxianus were cloned in order to identify chromosomal bands in pulsed field electrophoresis patterns of intergeneric hybrid strains which were obtained by protoplast fusion. Molecular hybridization data indicated that the K. marxianus parental strain might be triploid, and it showed strong chromosome length polymorphism. We analyzed the karyotype of two Saccharomyces cerevisiae/K. marxianus hybrid strains (St. 1, St. 46) with our DNA probes and with a Ty1 specific probe. We found indications for recombinational events which lead to the formation of hybrid chromosomal DNA molecules.     

Modes of lactose uptake in the yeast species Kluyveromyces marxianus

Twelve lactose-assimilating strains of the yeast species Kluyveromyces marxianus and its varieties marxianus, lactis and bulgaricus were studied with respect to transport mechanisms for lactose, glucose and galactose, fermentation of these sugars and the occurrence of extracellular lactose hydrolysis. The strains fell into three groups. Group I (two strains): Fermentation of lactose, glucose and galactose, extracellular lactose hydrolysis, apparent facilitated diffusion of glucose and galactose; Group II (two strains): Lactose not fermented, glucose and galactose fermented and transported by an apparent proton symport, extracellular hydrolysis of lactose present (one strain) or questionable; Group III (eight strains): Lactose, glucose and galactose fermented, lactose transported by an apparent proton symport mechanism, extracellular hydrolysis of lactose and transport modes for glucose and galactose variable.     

A growth kinetic model of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Kluyveromyces marxianus</Emphasis> cultures on cheese whey as substrate

This work presents a multi-route, non-structured kinetic model for determination of microbial growth and substrate consumption in an experimental batch bioreactor in which -galactosidase is produced by Kluyveromyces marxianus growing on cheese whey. The main metabolic routes for lactose, and oxygen consumption, cell growth, and ethanol production are derived based on experimental data. When these individual rates are combined into a single growth rate, by rewriting the model equations, the model re-interpretation has a complexity similar to that of the usual variations of the Monod kinetic model, available in the literature. Furthermore, the proposed model is in good agreement with the experimental data for different growth temperatures, being acceptable for dynamic simulations, processes optimization, and implementations of model-based control technologies.