Oxidation of Metabolites Highlights the Microbial Interactions and Role of Acetobacter pasteurianus during Cocoa Bean Fermentation

Four cocoa-specific acetic acid bacterium (AAB) strains, namely, Acetobacter pasteurianus 386B, Acetobacter ghanensis LMG 23848^T, Acetobacter fabarum LMG 24244^T, and Acetobacter senegalensis 108B, were analyzed kinetically and metabolically during monoculture laboratory fermentations. A cocoa pulp simulation medium (CPSM) for AAB, containing ethanol, lactic acid, and mannitol, was used. All AAB strains differed in their ethanol and lactic acid oxidation kinetics, whereby only A. pasteurianus 386B performed a fast oxidation of ethanol and lactic acid into acetic acid and acetoin, respectively. Only A. pasteurianus 386B and A. ghanensis LMG 23848^T oxidized mannitol into fructose. Coculture fermentations with A. pasteurianus 386B or A. ghanensis LMG 23848^T and Lactobacillus fermentum 222 in CPSM for lactic acid bacteria (LAB) containing glucose, fructose, and citric acid revealed oxidation of lactic acid produced by the LAB strain into acetic acid and acetoin that was faster in the case of A. pasteurianus 386B. A triculture fermentation with Saccharomyces cerevisiae H5S5K23, L. fermentum 222, and A. pasteurianus 386B, using CPSM for LAB, showed oxidation of ethanol and lactic acid produced by the yeast and LAB strain, respectively, into acetic acid and acetoin. Hence, acetic acid and acetoin are the major end metabolites of cocoa bean fermentation. All data highlight that A. pasteurianus 386B displayed beneficial functional roles to be used as a starter culture, namely, a fast oxidation of ethanol and lactic acid, and that these metabolites play a key role as substrates for A. pasteurianus in its indispensable cross-feeding interactions with yeast and LAB during cocoa bean fermentation.     

Proteins Induced during Adaptation of Acetobacter aceti to High Acetate Concentrations

As a typical product of microbial metabolism, the weak acid acetate is well known for its cytotoxic effects. In contrast to most other microbes, the so-called acetic acid bacteria can acquire significant resistance to high acetate concentrations when properly adapted to such hostile conditions. To characterize the molecular events that are associated with this adaptation, we analyzed global protein expression levels during adaptation of Acetobacter aceti by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Adaptation was achieved by using serial batch and continuous cultivations with increasing acetate supplementation. Computer-aided analysis revealed a complex proteome response with at least 50 proteins that are specifically induced by adaptation to acetate but not by other stress conditions, such as heat or oxidative or osmotic stress. Of these proteins, 19 were significantly induced in serial batch and continuous cultures and were thus noted as acetate adaptation proteins (Aaps). Here we present first microsequence information on such Aaps from A. aceti. Membrane-associated processes appear to be of major importance for adaptation, because some of the Aap bear N-terminal sequence homology to membrane proteins and 11 of about 40 resolved proteins from membrane protein-enriched fractions are significantly induced.     

Microdialysis for the determination of acetaldehyde and ethanol concentrations in the striatum of freely moving rats

The subject of the present paper is the simultaneous determination of ethanol (EtOH) and acetaldehyde (AcH) concentrations in the striatum of freely moving rats using an in vivo microdialysis followed by head-space gas chromatography (GC). Major operation conditions of GC were as follows: column, injector and detector temperatures 90, 110 and 200 degrees C, respectively; Supelcowax wide bore capillary column (60 m length, 0.53 mm i.d., 2 microm film thickness); carrier gas, nitrogen; flow rate, 20 ml/min. The recovery of EtOH and AcH at a concentration 40 mM and 250 microM, respectively, by microdialysis showed a maximum of 83.8+/-12.2 and 51.2+/-6.5%, respectively, at a flow rate of 0.8 microl/min. A good linear calibration curve in the concentration range of 5-50 mM for EtOH (r=0.998), and 10-250 microM for AcH (r=0.988) was observed. Microdialysates were collected for 10 min each after insertion of probe into the striatum. Rats were treated with cyanamide (100mg/kg, a potent aldehyde dehydrogenase inhibitor) and 60 min later with EtOH (1g/kg) intraperitoneally. A 10 min sample was about 8 microl. This volume was mixed with 40 microl of 0.002% t-butanol as an internal standard in 0.6N perchloric acid, and then analyzed by head-space GC method. The peak EtOH and AcH concentrations in the striatal dialysates reached maximum at 30 min, and then gradually decreased. This method represents a reasonable tool to quantify in vivo both AcH and EtOH levels simultaneously in rat brain.     

Biotechnological Applications of Acetic Acid Bacteria

The acetic acid bacteria (AAB) have important roles in food and beverage production, as well as in the bioproduction of industrial chemicals. In recent years, there have been major advances in understanding their taxonomy, molecular biology, and physiology, and in methods for their isolation and identification. AAB are obligate aerobes that oxidize sugars, sugar alcohols, and ethanol with the production of acetic acid as the major end product. This special type of metabolism differentiates them from all other bacteria. Recently, the AAB taxonomy has been strongly rearranged as new techniques using 16S rRNA sequence analysis have been introduced. Currently, the AAB are classified in ten genera in the family Acetobacteriaceae. AAB can not only play a positive role in the production of selected foods and beverages, but they can also spoil other foods and beverages. AAB occur in sugar- and alcohol-enriched environments. The difficulty of cultivation of AAB on semisolid media in the past resulted in poor knowledge of the species present in industrial processes. The first step of acetic acid production is the conversion of ethanol from a carbohydrate carried out by yeasts, and the second step is the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid carried out by AAB. Vinegar is traditionally the product of acetous fermentation of natural alcoholic substrates. Depending on the substrate, vinegars can be classified as fruit, starch, or spirit substrate vinegars. Although a variety of bacteria can produce acetic acid, mostly members of Acetobacter, Gluconacetobacter, and Gluconobacter are used commercially. Industrial vinegar manufacturing processes fall into three main categories: slow processes, quick processes, and submerged processes. AAB also play an important role in cocoa production, which represents a significant means of income for some countries. Microbial cellulose, produced by AAB, possesses some excellent physical properties and has potential for many applications. Other products of biotransformations by AAB or their enzymes include 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, which is used for the production of vitamin C; D-tagatose, which is used as a bulking agent in food and a noncalorific sweetener; and shikimate, which is a key intermediate for a large number of antibiotics. Recently, for the first time, a pathogenic acetic acid bacterium was described, representing the newest and tenth genus of AAB.     

Repeated-batch fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysate to ethanol using a hybrid Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain metabolically engineered for tolerance to acetic and formic acids

A major challenge associated with the fermentation of lignocellulose-derived hydrolysates is improved ethanol production in the presence of fermentation inhibitors, such as acetic and formic acids. Enhancement of transaldolase (TAL) and formate dehydrogenase (FDH) activities through metabolic engineering successfully conferred resistance to weak acids in a recombinant xylose-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain. Moreover, hybridization of the metabolically engineered yeast strain improved ethanol production from xylose in the presence of both 30 mM acetate and 20 mM formate. Batch fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysate containing a mixture of glucose, fructose and xylose as carbon sources, as well as the fermentation inhibitors, acetate and formate, was performed for five cycles without any loss of fermentation capacity. Long-term stability of ethanol production in the fermentation phase was not only attributed to the coexpression of TAL and FDH genes, but also the hybridization of haploid strains.     

Effects of ethanol-derived acetaldehyde on the phosphorylation potential and on the intramitochondrial redox state in intact rat liver

The role of acetaldehyde (AcH) in the ethanol-induced shift toward reduction of the cytosolic and mitochondrial free NAD⁺/free NADH ratios and its effect on the phosphorylation potential was investigated in livers of fed, intact rats given ethanol (1 g/kg ip). Calcium cyanamide, an inhibitor of mitochondrial aldehyde dehydrogenase, was administered to block predominantly intramitochondrial NADH production from AcH oxidation. Compared with ethanol alone, cyanamide almost totally reversed the elevation of the β-OH-butyrate/acetoacetate ratio but only slightly reduced the lactate/ pyruvate ratio, which was calculated to be in near equilibrium with the hepatic ethanol/ AcH ratio after cyanamide. Ethanol or cyanamide alone had no effect on ATP, ADP, or P_i, but together they significantly decreased the $\text{ATP}\text{ADP}\text{· P}{}_{\mathrm{<mtext>i</mtext>}}$ ratio by increasing both ADP and P_i levels. No association between changes in the phosphorylation potential and the redox states was, however, observed. An ethanol-induced increase in AMP was abolished by cyanamide. The results demonstrate that the effect of ethanol on the mitochondrial redox state requires active AcH oxidation and suggest that moderate AcH accumulation likely to occur during alcohol-aversive drug treatment significantly lowers the cellular phosphorylation potential.     

Effects of Ethanol and Other Alkanols on Transport of Acetic Acid in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In glucose-grown cells of Saccharomyces cerevisiae IGC 4072, acetic acid enters only by simple diffusion of the undissociated acid. In these cells, ethanol and other alkanols enhanced the passive influx of labelled acetic acid. The influx of the acid followed first-order kinetics with a rate constant that increased exponentially with the alcohol concentration, and an exponential enhancement constant for each alkanol was estimated. The intracellular concentration of labelled acetic acid was also enhanced by alkanols, and the effect increased exponentially with alcohol concentration. Acetic acid is transported across the plasma membrane of acetic acid-, lactic acid-, and ethanol-grown cells by acetate-proton symports. We found that in these cells ethanol and butanol inhibited the transport of labelled acetic acid in a noncompetitive way; the maximum transport velocity decreased with alcohol concentration, while the affinity of the system for acetate was not significantly affected by the alcohol. Semilog plots of V_max versus alcohol concentration yielded straight lines with negative slopes from which estimates of the inhibition constant for each alkanol could be obtained. The intracellular concentration of labelled acid was significantly reduced in the presence of ethanol or butanol, and the effect increased with the alcohol concentration. We postulate that the absence of an operational carrier for acetate in glucose-grown cells of S. cerevisiae, combined with the relatively high permeability of the plasma membrane for the undissociated acid and the inability of the organism to metabolize acetic acid, could be one of the reasons why this species exhibits low tolerance to acidic environments containing ethanol.     

The Key to Acetate: Metabolic Fluxes of Acetic Acid Bacteria under Cocoa Pulp Fermentation-Simulating Conditions

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) play an important role during cocoa fermentation, as their main product, acetate, is a major driver for the development of the desired cocoa flavors. Here, we investigated the specialized metabolism of these bacteria under cocoa pulp fermentation-simulating conditions. A carefully designed combination of parallel ¹³C isotope labeling experiments allowed the elucidation of intracellular fluxes in the complex environment of cocoa pulp, when lactate and ethanol were included as primary substrates among undefined ingredients. We demonstrate that AAB exhibit a functionally separated metabolism during coconsumption of two-carbon and three-carbon substrates. Acetate is almost exclusively derived from ethanol, while lactate serves for the formation of acetoin and biomass building blocks. Although this is suboptimal for cellular energetics, this allows maximized growth and conversion rates. The functional separation results from a lack of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxykinase and malic enzymes, typically present in bacteria to interconnect metabolism. In fact, gluconeogenesis is driven by pyruvate phosphate dikinase. Consequently, a balanced ratio of lactate and ethanol is important for the optimum performance of AAB. As lactate and ethanol are individually supplied by lactic acid bacteria and yeasts during the initial phase of cocoa fermentation, respectively, this underlines the importance of a well-balanced microbial consortium for a successful fermentation process. Indeed, AAB performed the best and produced the largest amounts of acetate in mixed culture experiments when lactic acid bacteria and yeasts were both present.     

Energy metabolism of a unique acetic acid bacterium, Asaia bogorensis, that lacks ethanol oxidation activity

Acetic acid bacteria (AAB) are known as a vinegar producer on account of their ability to accumulate a high concentration of acetic acid due to oxidative fermentation linking the ethanol oxidation respiratory chain. Reactions in oxidative fermentation cause poor growth because a large amount of the carbon source is oxidized incompletely and the harmful oxidized products are accumulated almost stoichiometrically in the culture medium during growth, but a newly identified AAB, Asaia, has shown unusual properties, including scanty acetic acid production and rapid growth, as compared with known AAB as Acetobacter, Gluconobacter, and Gluconacetobacter. To understand these unique properties of Asaia in more detail, the respiratory chain and energetics of this strain were investigated. It was found that Asaia lacks quinoprotein alcohol dehydrogenase, but has other sugar and sugar alcohol-oxidizing enzymes specific to the respiratory chain of Gluconobacter, especially quinoprotein glycerol dehydrogenase. It was also found that Asaia has a cyanide-sensitive cytochrome bo(3)-type ubiquinol oxidase as sole terminal oxidase in the respiratory chain, and that it exhibits a higher H(+)/O ratio.     

Aerobic submerged fermentation by acetic acid bacteria for vinegar production: Process and biotechnological aspects

Strictly aerobic acetic acid bacteria (AAB) have a long history of use in fermentation processes, and the conversion of ethanol to acetic acid for the production of vinegar is the most well-known application.At the industrial scale, vinegar is mainly produced by submerged fermentation, which refers to an aerobic process in which the ethanol in beverages such as spirits, wine or cider is oxidized to acetic acid by AAB. Submerged fermentation requires robust AAB strains that are able to oxidize ethanol under selective conditions to produce high-titer acetic acid. Currently submerged fermentation is conducted by unselected AAB cultures, which are derived from previous acetification stocks and maintained by repeated cultivation cycles.In this work, submerged fermentation for vinegar production is discussed with regard to advances in process optimization and parameters (oxygen availability, acetic acid content and temperature) that influence AAB activity. Furthermore, the potential impact arising from the use of selected AAB is described.Overcoming the acetification constraints is a main goal in order to facilitate innovation in submerged fermentation and to create new industry-challenging perspectives.     

Replacement of a terminal cytochrome c oxidase by ubiquinol oxidase during the evolution of acetic acid bacteria

The bacterial aerobic respiratory chain has a terminal oxidase of the heme-copper oxidase superfamily, comprised of cytochrome c oxidase (COX) and ubiquinol oxidase (UOX); UOX evolved from COX. Acetobacter pasteurianus, an α-Proteobacterial acetic acid bacterium (AAB), produces UOX but not COX, although it has a partial COX gene cluster, ctaBD and ctaA, in addition to the UOX operon cyaBACD. We expressed ctaB and ctaA genes of A. pasteurianus in Escherichia coli and demonstrated their function as heme O and heme A synthases. We also found that the absence of ctaD function is likely due to accumulated mutations. These COX genes are closely related to other α-Proteobacterial COX proteins. However, the UOX operons of AAB are closely related to those of the β/γ-Proteobacteria (γ-type UOX), distinct from the α/β-Proteobacterial proteins (α-type UOX), but different from the other γ-type UOX proteins by the absence of the cyoE heme O synthase. Thus, we suggest that A. pasteurianus has a functional γ-type UOX but has lost the COX genes, with the exception of ctaB and ctaA, which supply the heme O and A moieties for UOX. Our results suggest that, in AAB, COX was replaced by β/γ-Proteobacterial UOX via horizontal gene transfer, while the COX genes, except for the heme O/A synthase genes, were lost.     

Enzymes involved in vinyl acetate decomposition by Pseudomonas fluorescens PCM 2123 strain

Esterases are widely used in food processing industry, but there is little information concerning enzymes involved in decompositions of esters contributing to pollution of environment. Vinyl acetate (an ester of vinyl alcohol and acetic acid) is a representative of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in decomposition, of which hydrolyses and oxidoreductases are mainly involved. Their activities under periodically changing conditions of environment are essential for the removal of dangerous VOCs. Esterase and alcohol/aldehyde dehydrogenase activities were determined in crude cell extract from Pseudomonas fluorescens PMC 2123 after vinyl acetate induction. All examined enzymes exhibit their highest activity at 30–35 °C and pH 7.0–7.5. Esterase preferably hydrolyzed ester bonds with short fatty chains without plain differences for C₂ or C₄. Comparison of Km values for alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases for acetaldehyde suggested that this metabolite was preferentially oxidized than reduced. Activity of alcohol dehydrogenase reducing acetaldehyde to ethanol suggested that one mechanism of defense against the elevated concentration of toxic acetaldehyde could be its temporary reduction to ethanol. Esterase activity was inhibited by phenylmethanesulfonyl fluoride, while β-mercaptoethanol, dithiothreitol, and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid had no inhibitor effect. From among metal ions, only Mg²⁺ and Fe²⁺ stimulated the cleavage of ester bond.     

Increasing Anaerobic Acetate Consumption and Ethanol Yields in Saccharomyces cerevisiae with NADPH-Specific Alcohol Dehydrogenase

Saccharomyces cerevisiae has recently been engineered to use acetate, a primary inhibitor in lignocellulosic hydrolysates, as a cosubstrate during anaerobic ethanolic fermentation. However, the original metabolic pathway devised to convert acetate to ethanol uses NADH-specific acetylating acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase and quickly becomes constrained by limited NADH availability, even when glycerol formation is abolished. We present alcohol dehydrogenase as a novel target for anaerobic redox engineering of S. cerevisiae. Introduction of an NADPH-specific alcohol dehydrogenase (NADPH-ADH) not only reduces the NADH demand of the acetate-to-ethanol pathway but also allows the cell to effectively exchange NADPH for NADH during sugar fermentation. Unlike NADH, NADPH can be freely generated under anoxic conditions, via the oxidative pentose phosphate pathway. We show that an industrial bioethanol strain engineered with the original pathway (expressing acetylating acetaldehyde dehydrogenase from Bifidobacterium adolescentis and with deletions of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase genes GPD1 and GPD2) consumed 1.9 g liter⁻¹ acetate during fermentation of 114 g liter⁻¹ glucose. Combined with a decrease in glycerol production from 4.0 to 0.1 g liter⁻¹, this increased the ethanol yield by 4% over that for the wild type. We provide evidence that acetate consumption in this strain is indeed limited by NADH availability. By introducing an NADPH-ADH from Entamoeba histolytica and with overexpression of ACS2 and ZWF1, we increased acetate consumption to 5.3 g liter⁻¹ and raised the ethanol yield to 7% above the wild-type level.     

Effect of nutrient limitation and two-stage continuous fermentor design on productivities during "Clostridium ragsdalei" syngas fermentation

The effect of three limiting nutrients, calcium pantothenate, vitamin B₁₂ and cobalt chloride (CoCl₂), on syngas fermentation using “Clostridium ragsdalei” was determined using serum bottle fermentation studies. Significant results from the bottle studies were translated into single- and two-stage continuous fermentor designs. Studies indicated that three-way interactions between the three limiting nutrients, and two-way interactions between vitamin B₁₂ and CoCl₂ had a significant positive effect on ethanol and acetic acid formation. In general, ethanol and acetic acid production ceased at the end of 9 days corresponding to the production of 2.01 and 1.95 g L⁻¹ for the above interactions. Reactor studies indicated the three-way nutrient limitation in two-stage fermentor showed improved acetic acid (17.51 g g⁻¹ cells) and ethanol (14.74 g g⁻¹ cells) yield compared to treatments in single-stage fermentors. These results further support the hypothesis that it is possible to modulate the product formation by limiting key nutrients during C. ragsdalei syngas fermentation.     

Dynamics and Biodiversity of Populations of Lactic Acid Bacteria and Acetic Acid Bacteria Involved in Spontaneous Heap Fermentation of Cocoa Beans in Ghana

The Ghanaian cocoa bean heap fermentation process was studied through a multiphasic approach, encompassing both microbiological and metabolite target analyses. A culture-dependent (plating and incubation, followed by repetitive-sequence-based PCR analyses of picked-up colonies) and culture-independent (denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis [DGGE] of 16S rRNA gene amplicons, PCR-DGGE) approach revealed a limited biodiversity and targeted population dynamics of both lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and acetic acid bacteria (AAB) during fermentation. Four main clusters were identified among the LAB isolated: Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus fermentum, Leuconostoc pseudomesenteroides, and Enterococcus casseliflavus. Other taxa encompassed, for instance, Weissella. Only four clusters were found among the AAB identified: Acetobacter pasteurianus, Acetobacter syzygii-like bacteria, and two small clusters of Acetobacter tropicalis-like bacteria. Particular strains of L. plantarum, L. fermentum, and A. pasteurianus, originating from the environment, were well adapted to the environmental conditions prevailing during Ghanaian cocoa bean heap fermentation and apparently played a significant role in the cocoa bean fermentation process. Yeasts produced ethanol from sugars, and LAB produced lactic acid, acetic acid, ethanol, and mannitol from sugars and/or citrate. Whereas L. plantarum strains were abundant in the beginning of the fermentation, L. fermentum strains converted fructose into mannitol upon prolonged fermentation. A. pasteurianus grew on ethanol, mannitol, and lactate and converted ethanol into acetic acid. A newly proposed Weissella sp., referred to as “Weissella ghanaensis,” was detected through PCR-DGGE analysis in some of the fermentations and was only occasionally picked up through culture-based isolation. Two new species of Acetobacter were found as well, namely, the species tentatively named “Acetobacter senegalensis” (A. tropicalis-like) and “Acetobacter ghanaensis” (A. syzygii-like).     

Hydroxycinnamic Acids Used as External Acceptors of Electrons: an Energetic Advantage for Strictly Heterofermentative Lactic Acid Bacteria

The metabolism of hydroxycinnamic acids by strictly heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (19 strains) was investigated as a potential alternative energy route. Lactobacillus curvatus PE5 was the most tolerant to hydroxycinnamic acids, followed by strains of Weissella spp., Lactobacillus brevis, Lactobacillus fermentum, and Leuconostoc mesenteroides, for which the MIC values were the same. The highest sensitivity was found for Lactobacillus rossiae strains. During growth in MRS broth, lactic acid bacteria reduced caffeic, p-coumaric, and ferulic acids into dihydrocaffeic, phloretic, and dihydroferulic acids, respectively, or decarboxylated hydroxycinnamic acids into the corresponding vinyl derivatives and then reduced the latter compounds to ethyl compounds. Reductase activities mainly emerged, and the activities of selected strains were further investigated in chemically defined basal medium (CDM) under anaerobic conditions. The end products of carbon metabolism were quantified, as were the levels of intracellular ATP and the NAD⁺/NADH ratio. Electron and carbon balances and theoretical ATP/glucose yields were also estimated. When CDM was supplemented with hydroxycinnamic acids, the synthesis of ethanol decreased and the concentration of acetic acid increased. The levels of these metabolites reflected on the alcohol dehydrogenase and acetate kinase activities. Overall, some biochemical traits distinguished the common metabolism of strictly heterofermentative strains: main reductase activity toward hydroxycinnamic acids, a shift from alcohol dehydrogenase to acetate kinase activities, an increase in the NAD⁺/NADH ratio, and the accumulation of supplementary intracellular ATP. Taken together, the above-described metabolic responses suggest that strictly heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria mainly use hydroxycinnamic acids as external acceptors of electrons.     

Thia-analogues of amino acids synthesis of peptide derivatives containing 3-thia-analogues of amino acids

Summary N-Protected dipeptides containing L-3-thia-analogues of phenylalanine, p-nitro-phenylalanine, lysine and leucine respectively were prepared applying an enantioselective enzymatic reaction step. Racemic synthetic intermediates of the type acyl-NH-CH(R¹)-CO-D,L-NH-CH(S-R²)-COOBzl were selectively deprotected at the C-terminus by enzymatic hydrolysis using thermitase or trypsin.Abbreviations Ac acetyl - AcOEt ethyl acetate - AcOH acetic acid - Boc tert.-butyloxycarbonyl - Bz benzoyl - Bzl benzyl - DMF dimethyl-formamide - EtOH ethanol - THF tetrahydrofuran - Z benzyloxycarbonyl Dedicated to Prof. D. Cavallini at the occasion of his 75th birthday.     

Biotechnological applications of acetic acid bacteria

The acetic acid bacteria (AAB) have important roles in food and beverage production, as well as in the bioproduction of industrial chemicals. In recent years, there have been major advances in understanding their taxonomy, molecular biology, and physiology, and in methods for their isolation and identification. AAB are obligate aerobes that oxidize sugars, sugar alcohols, and ethanol with the production of acetic acid as the major end product. This special type of metabolism differentiates them from all other bacteria. Recently, the AAB taxonomy has been strongly rearranged as new techniques using 16S rRNA sequence analysis have been introduced. Currently, the AAB are classified in ten genera in the family Acetobacteriaceae. AAB can not only play a positive role in the production of selected foods and beverages, but they can also spoil other foods and beverages. AAB occur in sugar- and alcohol-enriched environments. The difficulty of cultivation of AAB on semisolid media in the past resulted in poor knowledge of the species present in industrial processes. The first step of acetic acid production is the conversion of ethanol from a carbohydrate carried out by yeasts, and the second step is the oxidation of ethanol to acetic acid carried out by AAB. Vinegar is traditionally the product of acetous fermentation of natural alcoholic substrates. Depending on the substrate, vinegars can be classified as fruit, starch, or spirit substrate vinegars. Although a variety of bacteria can produce acetic acid, mostly members of Acetobacter, Gluconacetobacter, and Gluconobacter are used commercially. Industrial vinegar manufacturing processes fall into three main categories: slow processes, quick processes, and submerged processes. AAB also play an important role in cocoa production, which represents a significant means of income for some countries. Microbial cellulose, produced by AAB, possesses some excellent physical properties and has potential for many applications. Other products of biotransformations by AAB or their enzymes include 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, which is used for the production of vitamin C; D-tagatose, which is used as a bulking agent in food and a noncalorific sweetener; and shikimate, which is a key intermediate for a large number of antibiotics. Recently, for the first time, a pathogenic acetic acid bacterium was described, representing the newest and tenth genus of AAB.     

High strength vinegar fermentation by Acetobacter pasteurianus via enhancing alcohol respiratory chain

Seeking high strength vinegar fermentation by acetic acid bacteria (AAB) is still the mission of vinegar producers. AAB alcohol respiratory chain, located on intracellular membrane, is directly responsible for vinegar fermentation. In the semi-continuous vinegar fermentation by Acetobacter pasteurianus CICIM B7003, acetification rate showed positive correlation with the activity of the enzymes in alcohol respiratory chain. Aiming at achieving high strength fermentation process, a series of trials were designed to raise the activity of AAB alcohol respiratory chain. Finally, acetification was enhanced by adding some precursors (ferrous ions and β-hydroxybenzoic acid) of alcohol respiration associated factors and increasing aeration rate (0.14 vvm). As final result, average acetification rate has been raised to 2.29 ± 0.02 g/L/h, which was 28.7% higher than the original level. Simultaneously, it was found that the oxidization of alcohol into acetic acid in AAB cells was improved by well balancing of three factors: enzyme activity in alcohol respiratory chain, precursor of ubiquinone biosynthesis, and aeration rate.     

The inhibition of acetate oxidation by ethanol in Acetobacter aceti

Ethanol grown Acetobacter aceti differed from acetate grown. In ethanol grown cells, acetate uptake, caused by the oxidation of acetate, was completely inhibited by ethanol, in acetate grown cells only to 20%. This was correlated with a 65-fold higher specific activity of the membrane bound NAD(P)-independent alcohol dehydrogenase in ethanol grown than in acetate grown cells. In comparison with ethanol grown cells, acetate grown cells showed a 3-fold higher acetate respiration rate and 3-fold higher specific activities of some tricarboxylic acid cycle enzymes tested. Both adaptations were due to induction by the homologous and not to repression by the heterologous growth substrate. A. aceti showed a membrane bound NAD(P)-independent malate dehydrogenase and no activity of a soluble NAD(P)-dependent one, as was known before from A. xylinum. A hypothesis was proposed explaining the observed inhibition of malate dehydrogenase and of functioning of the tricarboxylic acid cycle in the presence of ethanol or butanol or glucose by a competition of two electron currents for a common link in the convergent electron transport chains. The electrons coming from the quinoproteins, alcohol dehydrogenase and glucose dehydrogenase on the one side and those coming from the flavoproteins, malate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase via ubiquinonecytochrome c reductase on the other side are meeting at cytochrome c. Here the quinoproteins may be favoured by higher affinity and so inhibit the flavoproteins. Inhibition could be alleviated in the cell free system by increasing the oxygen supply.Dedicated to Professor Carl Martius on the occasion of his 80th birthday, March 1st 1986