Recent advances in biological production of erythritol

Erythritol is a natural sweetener commonly used in the food and pharmaceutical industries. Produced by microorganisms as an osmoprotectant, it is an ideal sucrose substitute for diabetics or overweight persons due to its almost zero calorie content. Currently, erythritol is produced on an industrial scale through the fermentation of sugars by some yeasts, such as Moniliella sp. However, the popularity of erythritol as a sweetener is still small because of its high retail price. This creates an opportunity for further process improvement. Recent years have brought the rapid development of erythritol biosynthesis methods from the low-cost substrates, and a better understanding of the metabolic pathways leading to erythritol synthesis. The yeast Yarrowia lipolytica emerges as an organism effectively producing erythritol from pure or crude glycerol. Moreover, novel erythritol producing organisms and substrates may be taken into considerations due to metabolic engineering. This review focuses on the modification of erythritol production to use low-cost substrates and metabolic engineering of the microorganisms in order to improve yield and productivity.     

Isolation of a novel high erythritol-producing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Pseudozyma tsukubaensis</Emphasis> and scale-up of erythritol fermentation to industrial level

This study isolated a novel erythritol-producing yeast strain, which is capable of growth at high osmolarity. Characteristics of the strain include asexual reproduction by multilateral budding, absence of extracellular starch-like compounds, and a negative Diazonium blue B color reaction. Phylogenetic analysis based on the 26S rDNA sequence and physiological analysis indicated that the strain belongs to the species Pseudozyma tsukubaensis and has been named P. tsukubaensis KN75. When P. tsukubaensis KN75 was cultured aerobically in a fed-batch culture with glucose as a carbon source, it produced 245 g/L of erythritol, corresponding to 2.86 g/L/h productivity and 61% yield, the highest erythritol yield ever reported by an erythritol-producing microorganism. Erythritol production was scaled up from a laboratory scale (7 L fermenter) to pilot (300 L) and plant (50,000 L) scales using the dissolved oxygen as a scale-up parameter. Erythritol production at the pilot and plant scales was similar to that at the laboratory scale, indicating that the production of erythritol by P. tsukubaensis KN75 holds commercial potential.     

Enhancing erythritol productivity in Yarrowia lipolytica using metabolic engineering

Erythritol (1,2,3,4-butanetetrol) is a four-carbon sugar alcohol with sweetening properties that is used by the agrofood industry as a food additive. In this study, we demonstrated that metabolic engineering can be used to improve the production of erythritol from glycerol in the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica. The best results were obtained using a mutant that overexpressed GUT1 and TKL1, which encode a glycerol kinase and a transketolase, respectively, and in which EYK1, which encodes erythrulose kinase, was disrupted; the latter enzyme is involved in an early step of erythritol catabolism. In this strain, erythritol productivity was 75% higher than in the wild type; furthermore, the culturing time needed to achieve maximum concentration was reduced by 40%. An additional advantage is that the strain was unable to consume the erythritol it had created, further increasing the process's efficiency. The erythritol productivity values we obtained here are among the highest reported thus far.     

Enhanced production of erythritol by Yarrowia lipolytica on glycerol in repeated batch cultures

Erythritol is an important natural sweetener, industrially produced only by fermentation on glucose media. Glycerol is an important renewable feedstock as it is the major by-product of the biodiesel production process; here we present an alternative way to convert this low-cost substrate into value-added products, such as erythritol. Repeated batch cultures (RBC) were performed to improve the productivity of erythritol from pure and crude glycerol. An acetate negative mutant of Yarrowia lipolytica Wratislavia K1 was found to be applicable for the production of high amounts of erythritol in RBC. When 20 % of fresh replaced medium was added, the strain Wratislavia K1 was able to produce 220 g l ^?1 erythritol, which corresponded to a 0.43 g g^?1 yield and a productivity of 0.54 g l^?1 h^?1. Additionally, the activity of the culture remained stable for more than 1,000 h, i.e., 11 cycles of the repeated batch bioreactors.     

Production of Erythritol by n-Alkane-grown Yeasts

In the course of study on citric acid fermentation by Candida zeylanoides, in which n-alkane (a mixture of C–12 to C–15) was used as the sole source of carbon, we found that a polyol-like substance was accumulated when the medium-pH fell down to below 4.0. This was isolated in crystalline forms and identified as meso-erythritol. Comparing erythritol production among fifty yeast strains, Candida zeylanoides, particularly its glycerol-requiring mutant KY 6166, was found to be an excellent producer.

Erythritol production was also observed with ethanol or acetic acid as the sole carbon source but not with glucose. An efficient condition for large production of erythritol was to keep the medium-pH at low level (2.5 to 4.0) and the concentration of NaCl or KCl at high level (1 to 3%). Under conditions established in this work, more than 55 mg/ml of erythritol was successfully produced in 120 hr incubation in 300-ml flasks, which corresponded to 55% of the alkane used.     

Erythritol as sweetener—wherefrom and whereto?

Erythritol is a naturally abundant sweetener gaining more and more importance especially within the food industry. It is widely used as sweetener in calorie-reduced food, candies, or bakery products. In research focusing on sugar alternatives, erythritol is a key issue due to its, compared to other polyols, challenging production. It cannot be chemically synthesized in a commercially worthwhile way resulting in a switch to biotechnological production. In this area, research efforts have been made to improve concentration, productivity, and yield. This mini review will give an overview on the attempts to improve erythritol production as well as their development over time.

     

Understanding the role of GRE3 in the erythritol biosynthesis pathway in Saccharomyces uvarum and its implication in osmoregulation and redox homeostasis

Erythritol is produced in yeasts via the reduction of erythrose into erythritol by erythrose reductases (ERs). However, the genes codifying for the ERs involved in this reaction have not been described in any Saccharomyces species yet. In our laboratory, we recently showed that, during alcoholic fermentation, erythritol is differentially produced by Saccharomyces cerevisiae and S. uvarum species, the latter being the largest producer. In this study, by using BLAST analysis and phylogenetic approaches the genes GRE3, GCY1, YPR1, ARA1 and YJR096W were identified as putative ERs in Saccharomyces cerevisiae Then, these genes were knocked out in our S. uvarum strain (BMV58) with higher erythritol biosynthesis compared to control S. cerevisiae wine strain, to evaluate their impact on erythritol synthesis and global metabolism. Among the mutants, the single deletion of GRE3 markedly impacts erythritol production, although ΔYPR1ΔGCY1ΔGRE3 was the combination that most decreased erythritol synthesis. Consistent with the increased production of fermentative by-products involved in redox balance in the Saccharomyces uvarum strain BMV58, erythritol synthesis increases at higher sugar concentrations, hinting it might be a response to osmotic stress. However, the expression of GRE3 in the S. uvarum strain was found to peak just before the start of the stationary phase, being consistent with the observation that erythritol increases at the start of the stationary phase, when there is low sugar in the medium and nitrogen sources are depleted. This suggests that GRE3 plays its primary function to help the yeast cells to maintain the redox balance during the last phases of fermentation.     

Increased erythritol production in Torula sp. with inositol and phytic acid

Of the vitamins tested, inositol was the most effective for erythritol production. To increase erythritol production by Torula sp., inositol and a related compound, phytic acid (myoinositol hexaphosphate), were added to the culture media. Erythritol production in the presence of phytic acid was greater than that in the presence of inositol, due to the synergistic effects of phosphate and inositol. Supplementation with phosphate and inositol increased cell growth, erythritol production, and the activity of erythrose reductase in cells. Inositol was a more effective stimulator of cell growth and erythritol production than was phosphate.     

Optimized conditions for high erythritol production by<Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis> sp. KJ-UV29, mutant of<Emphasis Type="Italic">Penicillium</Emphasis> sp. KJ81

To improve the erythritol productivity ofPenicillium sp. KJ81, mutants were obtained using UV irradiation and NTG treatment. Among these mutants,Penicillium sp. KJ-UV29 revealed no morphological changes, yet was superior to the wild strain in the following three points: (1)Penicillium sp. KJ-UV29 produced more erythritol than the wild strain under the same conditions, (2) no foam was produced during cultivation, unlike the wild strain, and (3) the mutant produced a significantly lower amount of glycerol.Penicillium sp KJ-UV29 produced as much as 15.1 g/L of erythritol, whereas the wild-typePenicillium sp. KJ-UV29 produced as much as 15.1 g/L of erythritol, whereas the wild-typePenicillium sp. KJ81 only produced 11.7 g/L.Penicillium sp. KJ-UV29 only generated 6.1 g/L of glycerol, compared to 19.4 g/L produced by the wild strain. When investigating the optimal culture conditions for erythritol production by the mutant strainPenicillium sp. KJ-UV29, sucrose was idetified as the most effective carbon source, and the mutant was even able to produce erythritol in a 70% sucrose-containing medium, although a 30% sucrose medium exhibited the highest productivity. The production of erythritol byPenicillium sp. KJ-UV29 was also significantly increased by the addition of ammonium carbonate, potassium nitrate, and sodium nitrate. Accordingly, under optimal conditions,Penicillium sp. KJ-UV29 produced 45.2 g/L of erythritol in a medium containing 30% sucrose, 0.5% yeast extract, 0.5% (NH₄)₂C₂O₄ 0.1% NaNO₃, and 0.01% FeSO₄ with 1 vvm aeration and 200 rpm agitation at 37°C for 7 days in a 5-L jar fermentor.     

Multiple gene integration to promote erythritol production on glycerol in Yarrowia lipolytica

Objective

Erythritol (1,2,3,4-butanetetrol) is a 4-carbon sugar alcohol that occurs in nature as a metabolite or storage compound. In this study, a multiple gene integration strategy was employed to enhance erythritol production in Y. lipolytica.

Results

The effects on the production of erythritol in Y. lipolytica of seven key genes involved in the erythritol synthesis pathway were evaluated individually, among which transketolase (TKL1) and transaldolase (TAL1) showed important roles in enhancing erythritol production. The combined overexpression of four genes (GUT1, TPI1, TKL1, TAL1) and disruption of the EYD1 gene (encoding erythritol dehydrogenase), resulted in produce approximately 40 g/L erythritol production from glycerol. Further enhanced erythritol synthesis was obtained by overexpressing the RKI1 gene (encoding ribose 5-phosphate isomerase) and the AMPD gene (encoding AMP deaminase), indicating for the first time that these two genes are also related to the enhancement of erythritol production in Y. lipolytica.

Conclusions

A combined gene overexpression strategy was developed to efficiently improve the production of erythritol in Y. lipolytica, suggesting a great capacity and promising potential of this non-conventional yeast in converting glycerol into erythritol.

     

Erythritol production with minimum By-product using Candida magnoliae mutant

In order to enhance erythritol production, mutants of Candida magnoliae DSM70638 were generated by ultraviolet and chemical mutagenesis. Erythritol productivity of samples was analyzed by TLC and HPLC with the refractive index detector. One of the mutants named mutant 12-2 gave a 2.4-fold increase in erythritol (20.32 g/L) and a 5.5-fold decrease in glycerol production compared to the wild strain. A sequence-based map of erythrose reductase gene in this mutant showed a replacement of the A³²¹ by G³²¹ that did not cause any amino acid exchange in protein structure. Therefore, the reason of higher erythritol production in C. magnoliae mutant 12-2 is probably the increase in expression of the open reading frame gene. This study revealed that a mutation or minor change in the sequence of genes involved in a production pathway can lead to a significant increase in protein translation.     

Production of erythritol and mannitol by Yarrowia lipolytica yeast in media containing glycerol

Glycerol is a by-product generated in large amounts during the production of biofuels. This study presents an alternative means of crude glycerol valorization through the production of erythritol and mannitol. In a shake-flasks experiment in a buffered medium, nine Yarrowia lipolytica strains were examined for polyols production. Three strains (A UV'1, A-15 and Wratislavia K1) were selected as promising producers of erythritol or/and mannitol and used in bioreactor batch cultures and fed-batch mode. Pure and biodiesel-derived crude glycerol media both supplemented (to 2.5 and 3.25?%) and not-supplemented with NaCl were applied. The best results for erythritol biosynthesis were achieved in medium with crude glycerol supplemented with 2.5?% NaCl. Wratislavia K1 strain produced up to 80.0?g?l(-1) erythritol with 0.49?g?g(-1) yield and productivity of 1.0?g?l(-1)?h(-1). Erythritol biosynthesis by A UV'1 and A-15 strains was accompanied by the simultaneous production of mannitol (up to 27.6?g?l(-1)). Extracellular as well as intracellular erythritol and mannitol ratios depended on the glycerol used and the presence of NaCl in the medium. The results from this study indicate that NaCl addition to the medium improves erythritol biosynthesis, and simultaneously inhibits mannitol formation.     

Improvement of Erythrose Reductase Activity,Deletion of By-products and Statistical Media Optimization for Enhanced Erythritol Production from Yarrowia lipolytica Mutant 49

The purpose of the present investigation was to produce erythritol by Yarrowia lipolytica mutant without any by-products. Mutants of Y. lipolytica were generated by ultra-violet for enhancing erythrose reductase (ER) activity and erythritol production. The mutants showing the highest ER activity were screened by triphenyl tetrazolium chloride agar plate assay. Productivity of samples was analyzed by thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography equipped with the refractive index detector. One of the mutants named as mutant 49 gave maximum erythritol production without any other by-products (particularly glycerol). Erythritol production and specific ER activity in mutant 49 increased to 1.65 and 1.47 times, respectively, in comparison with wild-type strain. The ER gene of wild and mutant strains was sequenced and analyzed. A general comparison of wild and mutant gene sequences showed the replacement of Asp²⁷⁰ with Glu²⁷⁰ in ER protein. In order to enhance erythritol production, we used a three component-three level-one response Box–Behnken of response surface methodology model. The optimum medium composition for erythritol production was found to be (g/l) glucose 279.49, ammonium sulfate 9.28, and pH 5.41 with 39.76 erythritol production.     

Scale-up of erythritol production by an osmophilic mutant of Candida magnoliae

Erythritol production by an osmophilic mutant of Candida magnoliae was performed in fermentations of up 50 l to develop an optimized commercial process. By simultaneous feeding glucose and yeast extract, erythritol productivity of 1.2 g l(-1) h(-1) was reached giving 200 g erythritol l(-1) with a yield of 0.43 g g(-1).     

A Review of: “North-Holland Publishing Company,Amsterdam, New York,Oxford, 1976; Softbound, 290 pages, $ 19.25.”

Several factors affecting erythritol production from glycerol by Yarrowia lipolytica Wratislavia K1 strain were examined in batch fermentations. Ammonium sulfate, monopotassium phosphate, and sodium chloride were identified as critical medium components that determine the ratio of polyols produced. The central composite rotatable experimental design was used to optimize medium composition for erythritol production. The concentrations of ammonium sulfate, monopotassium phosphate, and sodium chloride in the optimized medium were 2.25, 0.22, and 26.4 g L^?1, respectively. The C:N ratio was found as 81:1. In the optimized medium with 100 g L^?1 of glycerol the Wratislavia K1 strain produced 46.9 g L^?1 of erythritol, which corresponded to a 0.47 g g^?1 yield and a productivity of 0.85 g L^?1 hr^?1. In the fed-batch mode and medium with the total concentration of glycerol at 300 g L^?1 and C:N ratio at 81:1, 132 g L^?1 of erythritol was produced with 0.44 g g^?1 yield and a productivity of 1.01 g L^?1 hr^?1.     

Identification and characterization of EYK1 , a key gene for erythritol catabolism in Yarrowia lipolytica

Erythritol is a four-carbon sugar alcohol synthesized by osmophilic yeasts, such as Yarrowia lipolytica, in response to osmotic stress. This metabolite has application as food additive due to its sweetening properties. Although Y. lipolytica can produce erythritol at a high level from glycerol, it is also able to consume it as carbon source. This ability negatively affects erythritol productivity and represents a serious drawback for the development of an efficient erythritol production process. In this study, we have isolated by insertion mutagenesis a Y. lipolytica mutant unable to grow on erythritol. Genomic characterization of the latter highlighted that the mutant phenotype is directly related to the disruption of the YALI0F01606g gene. Several experimental evidences suggested that the identified gene, renamed EYK1, encodes an erythrulose kinase. The mutant strain showed an enhanced capacity to produce erythritol as compared to the wild-type strain. Moreover, in specific experimental conditions, it is also able to convert erythritol to erythrulose, another compound of biotechnological interest.     

Erythritol metabolism in wild-type and mutant strains of Schizophyllum commune

Erythritol uptake and metabolism were compared in wild-type mycelium and a dome morphological mutant of the wood-rotting mushroom Schizophyllum commune. Wild-type mycelium utilized glucose, certain hexitols, and pentitols including ribitol, as well as d-erythrose, erythritol, and glycerol as sole carbon sources for growth. The dome mutant utilized all of these compounds except d-erythrose and erythritol. Erythritol- or glycerol-grown wild-type mycelium incorporated erythritol into various cellular constituents, whereas glucose-grown cells lagged considerably before initiation of erythritol uptake. This acquisition was inhibited by cycloheximide. Dome mycelium showed behavior similar to wild-type in uptake of erythritol after growth on glucose or glycerol, except that erythritol was not further catabolized. Enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism were compared in cell extracts of glucose-cultured wild-type mycelium and dome. Enzymes of hexose monophosphate catabolism, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD)-dependent sugar alcohol dehydrogenases, and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-coupled erythrose reductase were demonstrated in both. The occurrence of erythrose reductase was unaffected by the nature of the growth carbon source, showed optimal activity at pH 7, and generated NAD phosphate and erythritol as products of the reaction. Glycerol-, d-erythrose-, or erythritol-grown wild-type mycelium contained an NAD-dependent erythritol dehydrogenase absent in glucose cells. Erythritol dehydrogenase activity was optimal at pH 8.8 and produced erythrulose during NAD reduction. Glycerol-growth of dome mycelium induced the erythritol uptake system, but a functional erythritol dehydrogenase could not be demonstrated. Neither wild-type nor dome mycelium produced erythritol dehydrogenase during growth on ribitol. Erythritol metabolism in wild-type cells of S. commune, therefore, involves an NADPH-dependent reduction of d-erythrose to produce erythritol, followed by induction of an NAD-coupled erythritol dehydrogenase to form erythrulose. A deficiency in erythritol dehydrogenase rather than permeability barriers explains why dome cannot employ erythritol as sole carbon source for mycelial growth.     

发酵产泡性能降低的解脂耶氏酵母菌株的获得及其评价

微生物发酵过程中泡沫的产生是发酵领域遇到的共性问题。在不影响发酵性能的前提下抑制菌株的产泡,对简化操作以及降低发酵成本具有较为重要的意义。解脂耶氏酵母(Yarrowia lipolytica,之前称为Candida lipolytica)是一种常用的合成生物学底盘,也是合成赤藓糖醇等功能糖醇的生产菌株。但在发酵合成赤藓糖醇的过程中会产生大量的泡沫,需要添加消泡剂以消除泡沫。【目的】本研究旨在开发一种产泡能力显著降低的解脂耶氏酵母新菌株,以减少赤藓糖醇发酵过程中消泡剂的添加。【方法】本研究利用解脂耶氏酵母中非同源靶向重组占支配地位的原理,采用一段外源DNA随机插入基因组的手段,随机突变基因组,改变菌株的发酵产泡性能,使突变株在发酵过程中不产泡或者降低其产泡的能力。【结果】通过筛选,获得一株在发酵过程中产泡性能显著降低的工程菌株,该菌株在保留高效合成赤藓糖醇性能的同时,显著降低了泡沫的产生。【结论】所获得的菌株对工业发酵合成赤藓糖醇具有较为重要的意义,也为控制其他微生物发酵过程中泡沫的生成提供了思路。     

Enhancement of erythritol production by Trichosporonoides oedocephalis ATCC 16958 through regulating key enzyme activity and the NADPH/NADP ratio with metal ion supplementation

Erythritol, a well-known natural sweetener, is mainly produced by microbial fermentation. Various metal ions (Al³⁺, Cu²⁺, Mn²⁺, and Ni²⁺) were added to the culture medium of Trichosporonoides oedocephalis ATCC 16958 at 30?mg/L in shake flask cultures. Compared with controls, Cu²⁺ increased the erythritol content by 86% and decreased the glycerol by-product by 31%. After 48 hr of shake flask culture, sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that expression levels of erythrose reductase (ER) in the presence of 30?mg/L CuSO₄?·?5H₂O were higher than those obtained after treatment with other examined metal ions. Furthermore, after 108 hr of batch culture in a 5-L bioreactor, supplementation with 30?mg/L of CuSO₄?·?5H₂O increased the specific erythritol content by 27%. Further studies demonstrated that ER activity under 30?mg/L CuSO₄?·?5H₂O supplementation in a fermentor was overtly increased compared with the control after 60 hr, while glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity was clearly reduced in most of the fermentation process. Furthermore, the NADPH/NADP ratio was slightly lower in T. oedocephalis cells treated with Cu²⁺ compared with control cells. These results provide further insights into Cu²⁺ effects on erythritol biosynthesis in T. oedocephalis and should improve the industrial production of erythritol by biological processes.