纤维素酶与木质纤维素生物降解转化的研究进展

利用纤维素酶将预处理后的秸秆降解成可发酵性单糖,然后发酵生产所需的液体燃料及化工产品的技术,对于我国解决能源、环境、人口就业等难题有着巨大的积极影响。在木质纤维素生物降解转化工艺中,减少纤维素酶用量及提高酶解效率是降低木质纤维素降解成本的关键。纤维素酶系和木质纤维素酶水解技术的改进需要深入了解纤维素酶系统的组成及其协同作用、纤维素酶的结构与功能以及纤维素酶的生产技术。将就以上几个方面的研究进展进行讨论,并深入探讨了纤维素酶糖化能力的评价方法。     

超声波对木质纤维素糖化过程影响的研究

将超声波应用在木质纤维素预处理及其酶解糖化过程中,通过SEM、FTIR研究了处理前后纤维素的形态结构和结晶性能,并考察了不同预处理方式对原料 成分的影响和超声波对酶解糖化率的影响。结果表明,超声波作用能有效的破坏纤维素分子中的氢键,降低其结晶程度,而且能有效地提高木质素的脱除率和酶解糖化率。对超声波作用于酶解过程中的机理进行了初步探讨     

黑曲霉HS—16纤维素糖化菌的选育及在酒精发酵中的应用研究

本试验以有一定纤维素酶活力的黑曲霉Ａ．ｎｉｇｅｒＨＳ－００为出发菌株,经紫外光、激光、亚硝基胍复合诱变,选育出糖化稻草纤维素性能优良的Ａ．ｎｉｇｅｒＨＳ－１６菌株,其分解稻草纤维素产生还原糖的能力是出发菌株的５倍,还原糖生成率可达２８％。利用其稻草纤维素糖化液进行酒精发酵,酒化率为８４．８％。本试验还系统研究了影响稻草纤维素糖化的因素,确定了糖化用固体稻草培养基的最佳配方,分析了不同营养对酒精发酵     

燃料乙醇发酵技术研究进展

在分析木质纤维素类生物质制备燃料乙醇原理基础上,重点对燃料乙醇转化过程的发酵工艺进行了论述。目前乙醇发酵工艺主要包括直接发酵、分步糖化发酵、同步糖化发酵、同步糖化共发酵和联合生物加工技术等,对这几种技术的研究现状进行了分析并对其发展趋势进行了展望,通过基因工程构建高效发酵菌种的联合生物加工技术将是未来高效发酵工艺的发展趋势,旨在为有效提高发酵菌株的底物代谢能力,获得高的乙醇产量提供重要参考。     

不断进化的生物质相关技术

使生物质纤维素转化成糖的糖化技术的开发非常盛行。 日本国内的丰田和出光兴产的研究小组利用离子液体推进研究。 提高糖化酶功能的研究也在开展。低成本技术的确立也在脚踏实地的进行。     

血红密孔菌高产漆酶菌株的筛选及其对烟梗的生物降解

白腐菌是目前已知的唯一能将木质素彻底降解的微生物,而漆酶在木质素分解过程中起着重要的作用,被广泛应用于农作物秸秆或甘蔗渣等多种类型生物质的生物预处理和生物降解。本研究利用白腐菌产漆酶发酵培养基对30株血红密孔菌Pycnoporus sanguineus菌株进行筛选,得到了多株漆酶高产菌株,并研究了血红密孔菌发酵粗酶液和菌丝对烟梗的生物降解条件。研究结果表明:血红密孔菌及其产生的漆酶表现出了对烟梗木质素较强的生物降解能力。在漆酶浓度为40U/mL、温度30℃、pH4.5的条件下处理24h,烟梗中木质素的降解率可达到50.4%,纤维素和半纤维素的降解率分别为17.5%和17.3%;漆酶浓度为5U/mL、温度30℃、pH4.5的条件下处理48h,木质素降解率可达到65.1%。血红密孔菌菌丝也表现出对烟梗较好的生物降解效果,接种培养7d后烟梗中木质素降解率可达30%以上,21d后木质素的降解率可达79.1%,而纤维素和半纤维素的降解率仅为20%和12%左右。本研究不但为生物质材料的生物预处理和生物降解提供了优质的白腐菌及漆酶资源,还为通过烟梗的生物预处理提高烟草梗丝和卷烟品质提供了重要参数,具有一定的应用前景。     

丝状真菌纤维素酶合成诱导及转录调控

利用廉价可再生木质纤维素资源水解产生的可发酵糖生产生物能源和生物基化学品是近年来国内外研究的热点。纤维素酶酶解是木质纤维素原料生物降解的重要手段,但目前纤维素酶生产成本过高,限制了纤维素生物转化和生物炼制的工业化应用。对丝状真菌纤维素酶基因表达和调控进行研究,有利于进一步选育纤维素酶高产菌株,降低纤维素酶生产成本。随着高通量测序及丝状真菌遗传操作等技术的进步,对丝状真菌纤维素酶诱导和基因表达调控机理有了更深入的认识。本文综述了近年来丝状真菌纤维素酶诱导和纤维素酶基因表达调控的最新进展,重点论述糖转运蛋白、转录因子和染色质重塑对纤维素酶表达调控的影响,并对利用人工锌指蛋白进行丝状真菌纤维素酶诱导调控研究进行了展望。     

提高木质纤维素酶解糖化效率的研究进展

木质纤维素高效水解为可发酵糖是其在生物燃料及高附加值化学品转化过程中至关重要的环节。从环保的角度出发,水解方法中的酶解是木质纤维素被彻底降解而无环境污染的有效途径,并且酶水解反应糖损耗低、副产物少、条件温和,因此受到广泛关注。但木质纤维素的组成与结构极为复杂,加之纤维素酶存在稳定性差、寿命短、活性低等缺陷,致使酶解效率较低,酶解糖化成本过高,为此国内外学者对如何提高木质纤维素酶解效率开展诸多方面的研究,综述了近年来提高木质纤维素酶解效率研究取得的最新理论研究及工艺进展,并就木质纤维素的预处理、产酶菌株/技术、酶复配/重组、酶解助剂、酶固定、外场作用、酶回收重利用及酶解反应器多方面的研究情况进行了总结,进一步展望了木质纤维酶解糖化的发展方向。     

木薯纤维素乙醇发酵的纤维素酶成本评价

木薯中的纤维素成分约占木薯干重的10％(W/W).文中以木薯燃料乙醇生产的木薯纤维素酒渣为原料,从纤维素酶成本角度评估了三种利用木薯纤维素组分发酵生产乙醇的方法,包括木薯纤维素酒渣的直接糖化和乙醇发酵、木薯纤维素酒渣预处理后的糖化与乙醇发酵、木薯乙醇发酵中同步淀粉与纤维素糖化以及乙醇发酵.结果表明,前两种方法的纤维素利用效率不高,酶成本分别达到13602、11659元/吨乙醇.第三种方法,即在木薯乙醇发酵过程同时加入糖化酶和纤维素酶,进行同步淀粉与纤维素糖化,进而进行乙醇发酵,木薯纤维素乙醇的收益最高.发酵结束时的乙醇浓度从101.5g/L提高到107.0g/L,纤维素酶成本为3 589元/吨乙醇.此方法利用木薯纤维素与木薯淀粉同时进行,不会带来额外的设备及操作投入,酶成本低于产品乙醇价格,可实现盈利,因此第三种方法为木薯纤维用于乙醇发酵的最适方法,本研究结果将为木薯乙醇产业深度利用木薯纤维提供依据.     

发现有助纤维素糖化的酶

日本味之素公司中央研究所进行纤维素酶的研究取得进展,从细菌中发现了对纤维素糖化具有优良特性的酶。纤维素分解为糖的反应中,催化最后反应的酶是β-葡糖苷酶,通常它易被分解产物葡萄糖所抑制。     

Mode of action of cellulases on dyed cotton with a reactive dye

Cotton woven fabrics which were previously dyed with a reactive dye were treated with a commercial cellulase preparation. Dyeing with a reactive dye for cotton apparently inhibited the weight loss activity and saccharification activity of cellulase. In addition, dyed cotton was treated with highly purified cellulases which were exo-type cellulases (Cellobiohydrolase I (CBH I) and Cellobiohydrolase II (CBH II)) and endo-type cellulase (Endoglucanase II (EG II)). Exo-type cellulases were inhibited more than endo-type cellulase by dyeing in the case of saccharification activity. CBH I was severely inhibited by dyeing as compared with CBH II or EG II from the viewpoint of morphological changes in the fiber surface. Dyes on the cellulose substrates severely influenced CBH I in spite of the rare modification, because CBH I hydrolyzed cellulose with true-processive action. The change in the activity of each cellulase component on dyed cotton can affect the synergistic action of cellulases.     

Microbial cultures in the utilization of cellulosic materials

This review elaborates on the most recent microbial development in saccharification of cellulose and cellulase formation. A particular highlight is a new genetic-immunochemical approach investigating the mechanism of adhesion of bacterial cellulase to cellulose during cellulose conversion. New developments and recent reviews in hemicellulose and lignin degradation are also covered.     

Simultaneous improvement of saccharification and ethanol production from crystalline cellulose by alleviation of irreversible adsorption of cellulase with a cell surface-engineered yeast strain

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic material is an essential step in the bioethanol production process. However, complete cellulose hydrolysis by cellulase is difficult due to the irreversible adsorption of cellulase onto cellulose. Thus, part of the cellulose remains in crystalline form after hydrolysis. In this study, after 96-h hydrolysis of Avicel crystalline cellulose, 47.1 % of the cellulase was adsorbed on the cellulose surface with 10.8 % crystalline cellulose remaining. In simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of 100 g/L Avicel with 1.0 filter paper unit/mL cellulase, a wild-type yeast strain produced 44.7 g/L ethanol after 96 h. The yield of ethanol was 79.7 % of the theoretical yield. On the other hand, a recombinant yeast strain displaying various cellulases, such as β-glucosidase, cellobiohydrolase, and endoglucanase, produced 48.9 g/L ethanol, which corresponds to 87.3 % of the theoretical yield. Higher ethanol production appears to be attributable to higher efficiency of cellulase displayed on the cell surface. These results suggest that cellulases displayed on the yeast cell surface improve hydrolysis of Avicel crystalline cellulose. Indeed, after the 96-h simultaneous saccharification and fermentation using the cellulase-displaying yeast, the amount of residual cellulose was 1.5 g/L, one quarter of the cellulose remaining using the wild-type strain, a result of the alleviation of irreversible adsorption of cellulases on the crystalline cellulose.     

Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose: Evaluation of cellulase culture filtrates under use conditions

Culture filtrates from three mutant strains of Trichoderma reesei grown on lactose and on cellulose were compared under use conditions on four cellulose substrates. Cellulose culture filtrates contained five to six times as much cellulase as lactose culture filtrates. Unconcentrated cellulose culture filtrates produced up to 10% sugar solutions from 15% cellulose in 24 h. Specific activity in enzyme assays and efficiency in saccharification tests were low for enzymes from all the mutants. Over a wide range the percent saccharification of a substrate in a given times was directly proportional to the logarithm of the ratio of initial concentrations of enzyme and substrate. As a result of this, dilute enzyme is more efficient than concentrated enzyme, but if high sugar concentrations are desired, very large quantities of enzyme are required. Since the slopes of these plots varied, the relative activity of cellulase on different substrates may be affected by enzyme concentration.     

Cellulase adsorption-desorption and cellulose saccharification during enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose materials

Treatment of different cellulose materials with cellulase from Penicillium funiculosum showed a cellulase adsorption-desorption pattern on all materials. The relative rate of adsorption and saccharification (enzyme activity) increases with increasing temperature. At 60° cellulase adsorption increased while the enzyme activity decreased.     

Substrate-Related Factors Affecting Enzymatic Saccharification of Lignocelluloses: Our Recent Understanding

Enzymatic saccharification of cellulose is a key step in conversion of plant biomass to advanced biofuel and chemicals. Many substrate-related factors affect saccharification. Rather than examining the role of each individual factor on overall saccharification efficiency, this study examined how each factor affects the three basic processes of a heterogeneous biochemistry reaction: (1) substrate accessibility to cellulose—the roles of component removal and size reduction by pretreatments, (2) substrate and cellulase reactivity limited by component inhibition, and (3) reaction conditions—substrate-specific optimization. Our in-depth analysis of published literature work, especially those published in the last 5 years, explained and reconciled some of the conflicting results in literature, especially the relative importance of hemicellulose vs. lignin removal and substrate size reduction on enzymatic saccharification of lignocelluloses. We concluded that hemicellulose removal is more important than lignin removal for creating cellulase accessible pores. Lignin removal is important when alkaline-based pretreatment is used with limited hemicellulose removal. Partial delignification is needed to achieve satisfactory saccharification of lignocelluloses with high lignin content, such as softwood species. Rather than using passive approaches, such as washing and additives, controlling pretreatment or hydrolysis conditions, such as pH, to modify lignin surface properties can be more efficient for reducing or eliminating lignin inhibition to cellulase, leading to improved lignocellulose saccharification.     

Evaluation of nanoparticle-immobilized cellulase for improved ethanol yield in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation reactions

Ethanol yields were 2.1 (P = 0.06) to 2.3 (P = 0.01) times higher in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) reactions of microcrystalline cellulose when cellulase was physisorbed on silica nanoparticles compared to enzyme in solution. In SSF reactions, cellulose is hydrolyzed to glucose by cellulase while yeast simultaneously ferments glucose to ethanol. The 35°C temperature and the presence of ethanol in SSF reactions are not optimal conditions for cellulase. Immobilization onto solid supports can stabilize the enzyme and promote activity at non-optimum reaction conditions. Mock SSF reactions that did not contain yeast were used to measure saccharification products and identify the mechanism for the improved ethanol yield using immobilized cellulase. Cellulase adsorbed to 40 nm silica nanoparticles produced 1.6 times (P = 0.01) more glucose than cellulase in solution in 96 h at pH 4.8 and 35°C. There was no significant accumulation (<250 μg) of soluble cellooligomers in either the solution or immobilized enzyme reactions. This suggests that the mechanism for the immobilized enzyme's improved glucose yield compared to solution enzyme is the increased conversion of insoluble cellulose hydrolysis products to soluble cellooligomers at 35°C and in the presence of ethanol. The results show that silica-immobilized cellulase can be used to produce increased ethanol yields in the conversion of lignocellulosic materials by SSF.     

Importance of cellulase cocktails favoring hydrolysis of cellulose

Depolymerization of lignocellulosic biomass is catalyzed by groups of enzymes whose action is influenced by substrate features and the composition of cellulase preparation. Cellulases contain a mixture of variety of enzymes, whose proportions dictate the saccharification of biomass. In the current study, four cellulase preparation varying in their composition were used to hydrolyze two types of alkali-treated biomass (aqueous ammonia-treated rice straw and sodium hydroxide-treated rice straw) to study the effect on catalytic rate, saccharification yields, and sugar release profile. We found that substrate features affected the extent of saccharification but had minimal effect on the sugar release pattern. In addition, complete hydrolysis to glucose was observed with enzyme preparation having at least a cellobiase units (CBU)/carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) ratio (>0.15), while a modified enzyme ratio can be used for oligosaccharide synthesis. Thus, cellulase preparation with defined ratios of the three main enzymes can improve the saccharification which is of utmost importance in defining the success of lignocellulose-based economies.     

Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of cellulose: effect of ethanol on enzymatic saccharification of cellulose

It was confirmed that simultaneous saccharification and fermentation are effective for accelerating enzymatic saccharification of cellulose. In this work, the effects of ethanol on the saccharification of tissue paper by Trichoderma cellulase (Meicelase CEPB) have been investigated. The following results were obtained. (1) Saccharification was inhibited by at least 0.2M ethanol. (2) Less than 4M ethanol did not affect the enzymatic activities of beta-glucosidase and endoglucanase (C(x)) at all. The thermal stability of endoglucanase was not also varied by ethanol. (3) It is suggested that ethanol depresses the adsorption of exoglucanase on cellulose. (4) The rate expression of saccharification of cellulose in the presense of ethanol is proposed. (5) The inhibititory effect of ethanol was found to become more significant in the later stages of the reaction than just the initial stage.     

Evaluating kinetics of enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulose by fractal kinetic analysis

The effects of impacting factors, including cellulase loading, operation temperature, product glucose inhibition, and high solid pretreated biomass loading were examined systemically on the enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulose (dilute acid pretreated corn stover) in the presence and absence of tri-block copolymer L64 (also referred to polymeric nonionic surfactant). The complex kinetics of enzymatic saccharification of cellulose were subjected to fractal kinetic analysis based on a fractal kinetic model, which is described with fractal kinetic parameters of the rate constant and fractal exponent. The results indicate that glucose inhibition including high lignocellulose loading is indexed by decreasing rate constant while lignin inhibition and high operation temperature is indexed by increasing fractal exponent. The effect of a nonionic surfactant on the enzymatic saccharification of lignocellulose mainly contributed to the elimination of lignin inhibition by decreasing the corresponding fractal exponent. However, the effect of the nonionic surfactant on cellulase activity and stability was very limited.