Production of L-arabitol from L-arabinose by Candida entomaea and Pichia guilliermondii

 Lignocellulosic biomass, particularly corn fiber, represents a renewable resource that is available in sufficient quantities from the corn wet milling industry to serve as a low cost feedstock for production of fuel alcohol and valuable coproducts. Several enzymatic and chemical processes have potential for the conversion of cellulose and hemicellulose to fermentable sugars. The hydrolyzates are generally rich in pentoses (D-xylose and L-arabinose) and D-glucose. Yeasts produce a variety of polyalcohols from pentose and hexose sugars. Many of these sugar alcohols have food applications as low-calorie bulking agents. During the screening of 49 yeast strains capable of growing on L-arabinose, we observed that two strains were superior secretors of L-arabitol as a major extracellular product of L-arabinose. Candida entomaea NRRL Y-7785 and Pichia guilliermondii NRRL Y-2075 produced L-arabitol (0.70 g/g) from L-arabinose (50 g/l) at 34°C and pH 5.0 and 4.0, respectively. Both yeasts produced ethanol (0.32–0.33 g/g) from D-glucose (50 g/l) and only xylitol (0.43–0.51 g/g) from D-xylose (50 g/l). Both strains preferentially utilized D-glucose>D-xylose>L-arabinose from mixed substrate (D-glucose, D-xylose and L-arabinose, 1:1:1, 50 g/l, total) and produced ethanol (0.36–0.38 g/g D-glucose), xylitol (0.02–0.08 g/g D-xylose) and L-arabitol (0.70–0.81 g/g L-arabinose). The yeasts co-utilized D-xylose (6.2–6.5 g/l) and L-arabinose (4.9–5.0 g/l) from corn fiber acid hydrolyzate simultaneously and produced xylitol (0.10 g/g D-xylose) and L-arabitol (0.53–0.54 g/g L-arabinose). Received: 24 April 1995/Received revision: 9 August 1995/Accepted: 7 September 1995     

Molecular identification of Pichia guilliermondii, Debaryomyces hansenii and Candida palmioleophila

Traditional phenotypic methods and commercial kits based on carbohydrate assimilation patterns are unable to consistently distinguish among isolates of Pichia guilliermondii, Debaryomyces hansenii and Candida palmioleophila. As result, these species are often misidentified. In this work, we established a reliable method for the identification/differentiation of these species. Our assay was validated by DNA sequencing of the polymorphic region used in a real-time PCR assay driven by species-specific probes targeted to the fungal ITS 1 region. This assay provides a new tool for pathogen identification and for epidemiological, drug resistance and virulence studies of these organisms.     

Pichia anomala (Candida pelliculosa) Fungemia in a Patient with Sickle Cell Disease

This case report discusses a patient with sickle cell disease who presented with fungemia from Pichia anomala (teleomorph: Candida pelliculosa). The organism was identified as P. anomala by MALDI-TOF VITEK mass spectrometry and VITEK 2 yeast identification card. Pichia anomala should be considered in sickle cell patients with recurrent fungemia.     

The fermentation of hexose and pentose sugars by Candida shehatae and Pichia stipitis

Summary The fermentation by Candida shehatae and Pichia stipitis of xylitol and the various sugars which are liberated upon hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass was investigated. Both yeasts produced ethanol from d-glucose, d-mannose, d-galactose and d-xylose. Only P. stipitis fermented d-cellobiose, producing 6.5 g·l^-1 ethanol from 20 g·l^-1 cellobiose within 48 h. No ethanol was produced from l-arabinose, l-rhamnose or xylitol. Diauxie was evident during the fermentation of a sugar mixture. Following the depletion of glucose, P. stipitis fermented galactose, mannose, xylose and cellobiose simultaneously with no noticeable preceding lag period. A similar fermentation pattern was observed with C. shehatae, except that it failed to utilize cellobiose even though it grew on cellobiose when supplied as the sole sugar. P. stipitis produced considerably more ethanol from the sugar mixture than C. shehatae, primarily due to its ability to ferment cellobiose. In general P. stipitis exhibited a higher volumetric rate and yield of ethanol production. This yeast fermented glucose 30–50% more rapidly than xylose, whereas the rates of ethanol production from these two sugars by C. shehatae were similar. P. stipitis had no absolute vitamin requirement for xylose fermentation, but biotin and thiamine enhanced the rate and yield of ethanol production significantly.Nomenclature _max Maximum specific growth rate, h^-1 - Q _p Maximum volumetric rate of ethanol production, calculated from the slope of the ethanol vs. time curve, g·(l·h)^-1 - q _p Maximum specific rate of ethanol production, g·(g cells·h) - Y _p/s Ethanol yield coefficient, g ethanol·(g substrate utilized)^-1 - Y _x/s Cell yield coefficient, g biomass·(g substrate utilized)^-1 - E Efficiency of substrate utilization, g substrate consumed·(g initial substrate)^-1·100     

Two new species in the Pichia guilliermondii clade: Pichia caribbica sp. nov., the ascosporic state of Candida fermentati, and Candida carpophila comb. nov

Pichia caribbica sp. nov. (type strain DBVPG 4519, NRRL Y-27274, CBS 9966) is described as the ascosporic state of Candida fermentati, and Candida guilliermondii var. carpophila (type strain DBVPG 7739, NRRL Y-17905, CBS 5256) is elevated to species status as Candida carpophila comb. nov. These new taxa, which are indistinguishable on the basis of conventional taxonomic criteria, differ from one another and from Pichia guilliermondii by low DNA base sequence relatedness, different electrophoretic karyotypes, and nucleotide divergence in domains D1/D2 of 26S rDNA. Pichia caribbica produces one, rarely two, saturn-shaped ascospores in persistent asci. On the basis of molecular criteria, C. carpophila comb. nov., C. fukuyamaensis, and C. xestobii are conspecific, with the name C. carpophila having taxonomic priority.     

High-level expression of Candida parapsilosis lipase/acyltransferase in Pichia pastoris

Candida parapsilosis has been previously shown to produce a lipase/acyltransferase (EC 3.1.1.3) that preferentially catalyses transfer reactions such as alcoholysis over hydrolysis in the presence of suitable nucleophiles other than water, even in aqueous media (aw > 0.9 ). This enzyme has been shown to belong to a new family of lipases. The present work describes the cloning of the gene coding for this lipase/acyltransferase in the yeast Pichia pastoris and the heterologous high-level expression of the recombinant enzyme. The lipase/acyltransferase gene, in which the sequence encoding the signal peptide was replaced by that of the alpha-factor of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was placed under the control of the methanol inducible promoter of the alcohol oxidase 1 gene (AOX1). A transformed P. pastoris clone, containing five copies of the lipase/acyltransferase gene, was selected for the production of recombinant enzyme. The fed-batch culture supernatant contained 5.8 gl(-1) (weighted) of almost pure recombinant lipase/acyltransferase displaying the same catalytic behavior as the original enzyme.     

毕赤酵母展示表达南极假丝酵母脂肪酶B

将南极假丝脂肪酶B(CALB)基因N端和C端,分别与酿酒酵母絮凝蛋白(Flo1p)絮凝结构域序列的N端(FS)和C端(FL)融合,构建成脂肪酶毕赤酵母表面展示载体KFS和KFL,并转化毕赤酵母GS115后获得重组子KFS-CALB和KFL-CALB。免疫荧光检测证实脂肪酶已展示于毕赤酵母细胞表面。甲醇诱导120 h后展示酶活性分别达到286 U/g干细胞和182 U/g干细胞。酶的热稳定性较游离酶有较大提高,50℃孵育4 h后KFS-CALB菌株的残留酶活力仍保持初始酶活力70%以上;KFL-CALB在50℃孵育2 h后的酶活力也达到初始酶活力50%,远远高于游离态的CALB,其在50℃孵育0.5 h后仅残留18%的初始酶活力。     

CALA在毕赤酵母中的表达、纯化及酶学特性研究

将南极假丝酵母脂肪酶A(cala)基因克隆至组成型表达载体pGAPZαA中,电激转入X-33,获得高效表达的CALA酵母工程菌株.发酵液上清经超滤浓缩、硫酸铵沉淀和阴离子交换层析等步骤,获得纯化的重组CALA,其比酶活达384.90 U/mg.该酶最适温度为70℃,最适pH值为8.0.经50℃保温2 h,仍含有60%水解酶活力;在pH7.0和8.0溶液中比较稳定.经DMSO处理1 h,仍保持90%的活性;非离子型表面活性剂能提高CALA的酶活,金属离子在不同程度上抑制CALA的酶活.     

The relation between redox potential and D-xylose fermentation by Candida shehatae and Pichia stipitis

Summary Fed-batch xylose fermentations with the yeastsCandida shehatae andPichia stipitis were conducted, using stirrer speed variation with the redox potential as control index to maintain oxygen-limited conditions. The best results were obtained withC. shehatae at 300 (±10) m V (relative to the standard hydrogen electrode), and these fermentation parameters compared favourably with those obtained previously with the dissolved oxygen tension as control variable. Redox control ofP. stipitis fermentations proved especially difficult. Cell growth during the fermentation was probably a major factor affecting redox potential.     

Comparison of different pretreatments in ethanol fermentation using corn cob hemicellulosic hydrolysate with Pichia stipitis and Candida shehatae

A hemicellulosic hydrolysate was prepared with 0.3 M H₂SO₄ at 98 °C for 1 h. The total initial reducing sugar was maintained at 45 g l^–1 by synthetic xylose supplementation. The seven detoxification methods were employed including either the single addition of solid CaO (to pH 10 or 6) or its combinations with zeolite shaking. Over-liming gave the hydrolysate that was most completely fermented by Pichia stipitis and Candida shehatae at 30 °C, pH 6, among the tested methods.     

Adaptation of Candida shehatae and Pichia stipitis to wood hydrolysates for increased ethanol production

Summary Candida shehatae ATCC 22984 and Pichia stipitis CBS 5776 were tested for ethanol production from xylose, glucose-xylose mixtures, and aspen wood total hydrolysates. Adaptation of these yeasts to wood hydrolysate solutions by recycling resulted in improved substrate utilization and ethanol production. Compared to the non-adapted cultures, recycled C. shehatae and P. stipitis in aspen hydrolysate increased g ethanol/g sugar consumed from 0.39 and 0.41 to 0.45 and 0.47; while ethanol production from a 70:30 glucose-xylose solution (total sugars 140 g/L) was 45 g/L in 24 h and 60 g/L in 72 h with the adapted yeasts compared to 15 g/L and 28 g/L in the same times with the parent strains.     

Expression of Candida antarctica lipase B in Pichia pastoris and various Escherichia coli systems

Candida antarctica lipase B (CALB) carrying a point mutation, N74S, resulting in a non-glycosylated protein was actively expressed in Pichia pastoris yielding 44 mg/L which was similar to that of the glycosylated CALB wild type expressed in P. pastoris. Hence, the major obstacle in the Escherichia coli expression of CALB is not the lack of glycosylation. To understand and improve the expression of CALB in E. coli, a comprehensive investigation of four different systems were tested: periplasmic expression in Rosetta (DE3), cytosolic expression in Rosetta-gami 2(DE3) and Origami 2(DE3) as well as co-expression with chaperones groES and groEL in Origami B(DE3), all using the pET-22b(+) vector and the T7lac promoter. Furthermore the E. coli expression was carried out at three different temperatures (16, 25 and 37 degrees C) to optimise the expression. Periplasmic expression resulted in highest amount of active CALB of the four systems, yielding a maximum of 5.2mg/L culture at 16 degrees C, which is an improvement to previous reports. The specific activity of CALB towards tributyrin in E. coli was found to be the same for periplasmic and cytosolic expression. Active site titration showed that the CALB mutant N74S had a lower specific activity in comparison to wild type CALB regardless of expression host. The expected protein identity was confirmed by LC-ESI-MS analysis in E. coli, whereas in P. pastoris produced CALB carried four additional amino acids from an incomplete protein processing.     

Effect of aerobiosis on fermentation and key enzyme levels during growth of Pichia stipitis,Candida shehatae and Candida tenuis on d-xylose

The relationship between the degree of aerobiosis, xylitol production and the initial two key enzymes of d-xylose metabolism were investigated in the yeasts Pichia stipitis, Candida shehatae and C. tenuis. Anoxic conditions severely curtailed growth and retarded ethanol productivity. This, together with the inverse relationship between xylitol accumulation and aeration level, suggested a degree of redox imbalance. The ratios of NADH- to NADPH-linked xylose reductase were similar in all three yeasts and essentially independent of the degree of aerobiosis, and thus did not correlate with their differing capacities for ethanol production, xylitol accumulation or growth under the different conditions of aerobiosis. Under anoxic conditions the enzyme activity of Pichia stipitis decreased significantly, which possibly contributed to its weaker anoxic fermentation of xylose compared to C. shehatae.     

Overexpression of Candida rugosa lipase Lip1 via combined strategies in Pichia pastoris

In this study, combined strategies were employed to heterologously overexpress Candida rugosa lipase Lip1 (CRL1) in a Pichia pastoris system. The LIP1 gene was systematically codon-optimized and synthesized in vitro. The Lip1 activity of a recombinant strain harboring three copies of the codon-optimized LIP1 gene reached 1200 U/mL in a shake flask culture. Higher lipase activity, 1450 U/mL, was obtained using a five copy number construct. Co-expressing one copy of the ERO1p and BiP chaperones with Lip1p, the CRL1 lipase yield further reached 1758 U/mL, which was significantly higher than that achieved by expressing Lip1p alone or only co-expressing one molecular chaperone. When cultivated in a 3 L fermenter under optimal conditions, the recombinant strain GS115/87-ZA-ERO1p-BiP #7, expressing the molecular chaperones Ero1p and BiP, produced 13,490 U/mL of lipase activity at 130 h, which was greater than the 11,400 U/mL of activity for the recombinant strain GS115/pAO815-α-mCRL1 #87, which did not express a molecular chaperone. This study indicates that a strategy of combining codon optimization with co-expression of molecular chaperones has great potential for the industrial-scale production of pure CRL1.     

Optimized growth kinetics of Pichia pastoris and recombinant Candida rugosa LIP1 production by RSM

A predictive model for Pichia pastoris expression of highly active recombinant Candida rugosa LIP1 was developed by combining the Gompertz function and response surface methodology (RSM) to evaluate the effect of yeast extract concentration, glucose concentration, temperature, and pH on specific responses. Each of the responses (maximum population densities, specific growth rate (mumax), protein concentration, and minimum lag phase duration) was determined using the modified Gompertz function. RSM and 4-factor-5-level central composite rotatable design (CCRD) were adopted to evaluate the effects of growth parameters, such as temperature (21.6-38.4 degrees C), glucose concentration (0.3-3.7%), yeast extract (0.16-1.84%), and pH (5.3-8.7) on the responses of P. pastoris growth kinetics.Based on ridge maximum analysis, the optimum population density conditions were: temperature 24.4 degrees C, glucose concentration 2.0%, yeast extract 1.5%, and pH 7.6. The optimum specific growth rate conditions were: temperature 28.9 degrees C, glucose concentration 2.0%, yeast extract 1.1%, and pH 6.9. The optimum protein concentration conditions were: temperature 24.2 degrees C, glucose concentration 1.9%, yeast extract 1.5%, and pH 7.6. Based on ridge minimum analysis, the minimal lag phase conditions were: temperature 32.3 degrees C, glucose concentration 2.1%, yeast extract 1.1%, and pH 5.4. For the predicted value, the maximum population density, specific growth rate, protein concentration, and minimum lag phase duration were 15.7 mg/ml, 3.4 h(-1), 0.78 mg/ml, and 4.2 h, and the actual values were 14.3 +/- 3.5 mg/ml, 3.6 +/- 0.6 h(-1), 0.72 +/- 0.2 mg/ml, and 4.4 +/- 1.6 h, respectively.     

Temperature profiles of growth and ethanol tolerance of the xylose-fermenting yeasts Candida shehatae and Pichia stipitis

Summary The effect of different ethanol concentrations on the growth of Candida shehatae and Pichia stipitis with xylose as substrate was evaluated in a temperature gradient incubator. The upper limit of the temperature profiles of ethanol tolerance of both yeast strains were similar, although P. stipitis appeared to have a slightly higher ethanol tolerance in the higher temperature range. An increase in the ethanol concentration severely depressed the maximum growth temperature, and also increased the minimum growth temperature slightly. The ethanol tolerance limit of 46–48 g·l^-1 occurred within a narrow temperature plateau of 11 to 22° C. The low ethanol tolerance of these pentose fermenting yeasts is detrimental for commercial ethanol production from hemicellulose hydrolysates.