Co-fermentation of a mixture of glucose and xylose to ethanol by Zymomonas mobilis and Pachysolen tannophilus

This research was designed to maximize ethanol production from a glucose-xylose sugar mixture (simulating a sugar cane bagasse hydrolysate) by co-fermentation with Zymomonas mobilis and Pachysolen tannophilus. The volumetric ethanol productivity of Z. mobilis with 50 g glucose/l was 2.87 g/l/h, giving an ethanol yield of 0.50 g/g glucose, which is 98% of the theoretical. P. tannophilus when cultured on 50 g xylose/l gave a volumetric ethanol productivity of 0.10 g/l/h with an ethanol yield of 0.15 g/g xylose, which is 29% of the theoretical. On optimization of the co-fermentation with the sugar mixture (60 g glucose/l and 40 g xylose/l) a total ethanol yield of 0.33 g/g sugar mixture, which is 65% of the theoretical yield, was obtained. The co-fermentation increased the ethanol yield from xylose to 0.17 g/g. Glucose and xylose were completely utilized and no residual sugar was detected in the medium at the end of the fermentation. The pH of the medium was found to be a good indicator of the fermentation status. The optimum conditions were a temperature of 30°C, initial inoculation with Z. mobilis and incubation with no aeration, inactivation of bacterium after the utilization of glucose, followed by inoculation with P. tannophilus and incubation with limited aeration.     

Co-fermentation of cellobiose and xylose using beta-glucosidase displaying diploid industrial yeast strain OC-2

The co-utilization of sugars, particularly xylose and glucose, during industrial fermentation is essential for economically feasible processes with high ethanol productivity. However, the major problem encountered during xylose/glucose co-fermentation is the lower consumption rate of xylose compared with that of glucose fermentation. Here, we therefore attempted to construct high xylose assimilation yeast by using industrial yeast strain with high β-glucosidase activity on the cell surface. We first constructed the triple auxotrophic industrial strain OC2-HUT and introduced four copies of the cell-surface-displaying β-glucosidase (BGL) gene and two copies of a xylose-assimilating gene into its genome to generate strain OC2-ABGL4Xyl2. It was confirmed that the introduction of multiple copies of the BGL gene increased the cell-surface BGL activity, which was also correlated to the observed increase in xylose-assimilating ability. The strain OC2-ABGL4Xyl2 was able to consume xylose during cellobiose/xylose co-fermentation (0.38 g/h/g-DW) more rapidly than during glucose/xylose co-fermentation (0.18 g/h/g-DW). After 48 h, 5.77% of the xylose was consumed despite the co-fermentation conditions, and the observed ethanol yield was 0.39 g-ethanol/g-total sugar. Our results demonstrate that a BGL-displaying and xylose-assimilating industrial yeast strain is capable of efficient xylose consumption during the co-fermentation with cellobiose. Due to its high performance for fermentation of mixtures of cellobiose and xylose, OC2-ABGL4Xyl2 does not require the addition of β-glucosidase and is therefore a promising yeast strain for cost-effective ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass.     

Optimization of a synthetic mixture composed of major Trichoderma reesei enzymes for the hydrolysis of steam-exploded wheat straw

Background

The commercialization of second-generation bioethanol has not been realized due to several factors, including poor biomass utilization and high production cost. It is generally accepted that the most important parameters in reducing the production cost are the ethanol yield and the ethanol concentration in the fermentation broth. Agricultural residues contain large amounts of hemicellulose, and the utilization of xylose is thus a plausible way to improve the concentration and yield of ethanol during fermentation. Most naturally occurring ethanol-fermenting microorganisms do not utilize xylose, but a genetically modified yeast strain, TMB3400, has the ability to co-ferment glucose and xylose. However, the xylose uptake rate is only enhanced when the glucose concentration is low.

Results

Separate hydrolysis and co-fermentation of steam-pretreated wheat straw (SPWS) combined with wheat-starch hydrolysate feed was performed in two separate processes. The average yield of ethanol and the xylose consumption reached 86% and 69%, respectively, when the hydrolysate of the enzymatically hydrolyzed (18.5% WIS) unwashed SPWS solid fraction and wheat-starch hydrolysate were fed to the fermentor after 1 h of fermentation of the SPWS liquid fraction. In the other configuration, fermentation of the SPWS hydrolysate (7.0% WIS), resulted in an average ethanol yield of 93% from fermentation based on glucose and xylose and complete xylose consumption when wheat-starch hydrolysate was included in the feed. Increased initial cell density in the fermentation (from 5 to 20 g/L) did not increase the ethanol yield, but improved and accelerated xylose consumption in both cases.

Conclusions

Higher ethanol yield has been achieved in co-fermentation of xylose and glucose in SPWS hydrolysate when wheat-starch hydrolysate was used as feed, then in co-fermentation of the liquid fraction of SPWS fed with the mixed hydrolysates. Integration of first-generation and second-generation processes also increases the ethanol concentration, resulting in a reduction in the cost of the distillation step, thus improving the process economics.     

灭活原生质体融合选育木糖、葡萄糖共发酵酿酒酵母工程菌

为了选育高效利用木糖、葡萄糖共发酵,并使乙醇产量有所提高的酿酒酵母工程菌株。以酿酒酵母Saccharomyces cerevisiae W5和休哈塔假丝酵母Candida shehatae 20335为亲本株,确定了双亲株原生质体灭活剂量,并进行原生质体融合获得融合子,用高效液相色谱（HPLC）测定融合子以木糖、葡萄糖单碳源及混合碳源发酵时的乙醇得率。结果表明,获得一株发酵性能优良的融合子HDY2-14,其利用木糖和葡萄糖单碳源发酵的乙醇得率分别为0.213g/g和0.257g/g,混合碳源发酵的乙醇得率为0.310g/g,其中混合碳源乙醇得率比亲本株W5和20335的乙醇得率分别提高了20.2%和15.2%。     

Ethanol fermentation on glucose/xylose mixture by co-cultivation of restricted glucose catabolite repressed mutants of Pichia stipitis with respiratory deficient mutants of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Restricted glucose catabolite repressed mutants of P. stipiti CCY 39501 were selected using UV irradiation. Four mutants were obtained which assimilated glucose slower than the native strain of P. stipitis and the degree of glucose repression was about 2-fold lower for P5-90-133 and P5-200-16 mutants and about 10-fold lower for P5-80-7 and P5-80-35 mutants. P5-80-7 and P5-80-35 produced very small amounts of ethanol from glucose and xylose, whereas P5-90-133 and P5-200-16 fermented sugars at the wild-type level. These two mutants were selected for co-fermentation process with native strain of S. cerevisiae V30 or Ja(a), as well as with their respiratory deficient mutants. During co-culture process of P. stipitis mutants with native strains of S. cerevisiae the ethanol yields obtained ranged from 0.38 to 0.45 g/g, and this alcohol was produced mainly from glucose. But, when also xylose, besides glucose was fermented to ethanol during co-fermentation of both mutant strains, lower yields of ethanol (0.28-0.40 g/g) were obtained.     

Detoxification of corn stover prehydrolyzate by trialkylamine extraction to improve the ethanol production with Pichia stipitis CBS 5776

In order to realize the separated ethanol fermentation of glucose and xylose, prehydrolysis of corn stover with sulfuric acid at moderate temperature was applied, while inhibitors were produced inevitably. A complex extraction was adopted to detoxify the prehydrolyzate before fermentation to ethanol with Pichia stipitis CBS 5776. The best proportion of mixed extractant was 30% trialkylamine-50% n-octanol -20% kerosene. Detoxification results indicated that 73.3% of acetic acid, 45.7% of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and 100% of furfural could be removed. Compared with the undetoxified prehydrolyzate, the fermentability of the detoxified prehydrolyzate was significantly improved. After 48 h fermentation of the detoxified prehydrolyzate containing 7.80 g/l of glucose and 52.8 g/l of xylose, the sugar utilization ratio was 93.2%; the ethanol concentration reached its peak value of 21.8 g/l, which was corresponding to 82.3% of the theoretical value.     

Ethanol production from corn cob hydrolysates by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> KO11

Corn cob hydrolysates, with xylose as the dominant sugar, were fermented to ethanol by recombinant Escherichia coli KO11. When inoculum was grown on LB medium containing glucose, fermentation of the hydrolysate was completed in 163 h and ethanol yield was 0.50 g ethanol/g sugar. When inoculum was grown on xylose, ethanol yield dropped, but fermentation was faster (113 h). Hydrolysate containing 72.0 g/l xylose and supplemented with 20.0 g/l rice bran was readily fermented, producing 36.0 g/l ethanol within 70 h. Maximum ethanol concentrations were not higher for fermentations using higher cellular concentration inocula. A simulation of an industrial process integrating pentose fermentation by E. coli and hexose fermentation by yeast was carried out. At the first step, E. coli fermented the hydrolysate containing 85.0 g/l xylose, producing 40.0 g/l ethanol in 94 h. Baker's yeast and sucrose (150.0 g/l) were then added to the spent fermentation broth. After 8 h of yeast fermentation, the ethanol concentration reached 104.0 g/l. This two-stage fermentation can render the bioconversion of lignocellulose to ethanol more attractive due to increased final alcohol concentration. Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology (2002) 29, 124–128 doi:10.1038/sj.jim.7000287 Received 20 February 2002/ Accepted in revised form 04 June 2002     

Effect of glucose on xylose utilization in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis> harboring the xylose reductase gene

We have constructed recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae JH1 harboring a xylose reductase gene (xyl1) isolated from Pichia stipitis. However, JH1 still utilizes glucose more easily than xylose. Therefore, in this study, we characterized the effect of a glucose supplement on xylose utilization, the expression level of xylose reductase as a recombinant gene in JH1, and the expression levels of two hexose transporters (Hxt4 and Hxt7) due to co-fermentation of different concentrations of glucose and xylose. Co-fermentation using 20 g/l of glucose increased xylose consumption up to 11.7 g/l, which was 7.9-fold that of xylose fermentation without a glucose supplement. In addition, we found xyl1 mRNA levels dramatically increased as cells grew under co-fermentation conditions with supplementary glucose; this result is consistent with a significant decrease in the xylose concentration 48 h after cultivation. In addition, the expression levels of Hxt4 and Hxt7 were strongly activated by the presence of glucose and xylose; in particular, Hxt7 showed a 2.9-fold increased expression relative to that of recombinant S. cerevisiae JHM with only a backbone vector, pYES2. The results of this study suggest that xylose utilization would be improved by activation of hexose transporters induced by glucose (rather than xylose) reductase expression.     

Characterization of recombinantE. coli ATCC 11303 (pLOI 297) in the conversion of cellulose and xylose to ethanol

This work describes the characterization of recombinantEsherichia coli ATCC 11303 (pLOI 297) in the production of ethanol from cellulose and xylose. We have examined the fermentation of glucose and xylose, both individually and in mixtures, and the selectivity of ethanol production under various conditions of operation. Xylose metabolism was strongly inhibited by the presence of glucose. Ethanol was a strong inhibitor of both glucose and xylose fermentations; the maximum ethanol levels achieved at 37°C and 42°C were about 50 g/l and 25 g/l respectively. Simmultaneous sacharification and fermentation of cellulose with recombinantE. coli and exogenous cellulose showed a high ethanol yield (84% of theoretical) in the hydrolysis regime of pH 5.0 and 37°C. The selectivity of organic acid formation relative to that of ethanol increased at extreme levels of initial glucose concentration; production of succinic and acetic acids increased at low levels of glucose ( <1 g/l), and lactic acid production increased when initial glucose was higher than 100 g/l.     

Kinetics of growth and ethanol production on different carbon substrates using genetically engineered xylose-fermenting yeast

Saccharomyces cerevisiae 424A (LNH-ST) strain was used for fermentation of glucose and xylose. Growth kinetics and ethanol productivity were calculated for batch fermentation on media containing different combinations of glucose and xylose to give a final sugar concentration of 20+/-0.8 g/L. Growth rates obtained in pure xylose-based medium were less than those for media containing pure glucose and glucose-xylose mixtures. A maximum specific growth rate micro(max) of 0.291 h(-1) was obtained in YPD medium containing 20 g/L glucose as compared to 0.206 h(-1) in YPX medium containing 20 g/L xylose. In media containing combinations of glucose and xylose, glucose was exhausted first followed by xylose. Ethanol production on pure xylose entered log phase during the 12-24h period as compared to the 4-10h for pure glucose based medium using 2% inoculum. When glucose was added to fermentation flasks which had been initiated on a pure xylose-based medium, the rate of xylose usage was reduced indicating cosubstrate inhibition of xylose consumption by glucose.     

休哈塔假丝酵母乙醇发酵性能的研究

木糖的高效发酵是制约纤维素燃料乙醇生产的技术瓶颈之一,高性能发酵菌种的开发是本领域研究的重点。以木糖发酵的典型菌株休哈塔假丝酵母为材料,研究氮源配比、葡萄糖和木糖初始浓度、葡萄糖添加及典型抑制物等因素对其木糖利用和乙醇发酵性能的影响规律。结果表明,硫酸铵更适宜于木糖和葡萄糖发酵产乙醇。在摇瓶振荡发酵条件下,该酵母可发酵164.0 g/L葡萄糖生成61.9 g/L乙醇,糖利用率和乙醇得率分别为99.8%和74.0%;受酵母细胞膜上转运体系的限制,对木糖的最高发酵浓度为120.0 g/L,可生成45.7 g/L乙醇,糖利用率和乙醇得率分别达到94.8%和87.0%。休哈塔假丝酵母发酵木糖的主要产物为乙醇,仅生成微量的木糖醇;添加葡萄糖可促进木糖的利用;休哈塔假丝酵母在葡萄糖发酵时的乙酸和甲酸的耐受浓度分别为8.32和2.55 g/L,木糖发酵时的乙酸和甲酸的耐受浓度分别为6.28和1.15 g/L。     

Characterization of Bioethanol Production from Hexoses and Xylose by the White Rot Fungus Trametes versicolor

Bioethanol production by white rot fungus (Trametes versicolor), identified from fungal mixture in naturally decomposing wood samples, from hexoses and xylose was characterized. Results showed that T. versicolor can grow in culture, under hypoxic conditions, with various mixtures of hexoses and xylose and only xylose. Xylose was efficiently fermented to ethanol in media containing mixtures of hexoses and xylose, such as MBMC and G11XY11 media (Table?1), yielding ethanol concentrations of 20.0 and 9.02?g/l, respectively, after 354?h of hypoxic culture. Very strong correlations were found between ethanolic fermentation (alcohol dehydrogenase activity and ethanol production), sugar consumption and xylose catabolism (xylose reductase, xylitol dehydrogenase and xylulokinase activities) after 354?h in culture in MBMC medium. In a medium (G11XY11) containing a 1:1 glucose/xylose ratio, fermentation efficiency of total sugars into ethanol was 80% after 354?h.     

高浓度糖发酵制备乙醇

以树干毕赤酵母为发酵菌株,混合糖（木糖、葡萄糖）为发酵底物,通过培养基和培养条件的改变来确定树干毕赤酵母高糖浓度发酵时所需的条件。研究结果表明：在24h发酵周期内初始木糖质量浓度为63．0g／L较适宜;在36h发酵周期内初始木糖质量浓度为72．0g/L较适宜。24h发酵周期内,在36．0g／L木糖中添加的葡萄糖质量浓度以54．0g/L为最佳,发酵结束乙醇质量浓度达32．9g／L;36h发酵周期内,添加的葡萄糖质量浓度以72．0g／L为最佳,发酵结束乙醇质量浓度为36．9g／L。以（NH4）2SO4为N源时较适合戊糖发酵制备乙醇,（NH2）2SO4的最佳质量浓度为1．1g／L。发酵前8h摇床转速为90r／min,后16h为150r／min,乙醇质量浓度较高,可达17．5g/L。     

亚硫酸盐甘蔗渣浆酶解液发酵制备乙醇

以亚硫酸盐甘蔗渣浆酶解液作为原料,利用C. shehatae发酵制取燃料乙醇。结果表明：还原糖最适初始质量浓度为葡萄糖140 g/L、木糖60 g/L、酶解液总糖80 g/L。利用初始葡萄糖55.06 g/L、木糖11.18 g/L、纤维二糖4.51 g/L的亚硫酸盐甘蔗渣浆酶解液发酵,经18 h获得乙醇22.98 g/L。乙醇得率为67.23%,葡萄糖利用率为99.27%,木糖利用率为32.96%,C. shehatae适合作为蔗渣为原料的乙醇发酵菌株。     

A novel co-culture process with Zymomonas mobilis and Pichia stipitis for efficient ethanol production on glucose/xylose mixtures

An efficient conversion of glucose and xylose is a requisite for a profitable process of bioethanol production from lignocellulose. Considering the approaches available for this conversion, co-culture is a simple process, employing two different organisms for the fermentation of the two sugars. An innovative fermentation scheme was designed, co-culturing immobilized Zymomonas mobilis and free cells of Pichia stipitis in a modified fermentor for the glucose and xylose fermentation, respectively. A sugar mixture of 30 g/l glucose and 20 g/l of xylose was completely converted to ethanol within 19 h. This gave a volumetric ethanol productivity of 1.277 g/l/h and an ethanol yield of 0.49–0.50 g/g, which is more than 96% of the theoretical value. Extension of this fermentation scheme to sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate resulted in a complete sugar utilisation within 26 h; ethanol production peaked at 40 h with a yield of 0.49 g/g. These values are comparable to the best results reported. Cell interaction was observed between Z. mobilis and P. stipitis. Viable cells of Z. mobilis inhibited the cell activity of P. stipitis and the xylose fermentation. Z. mobilis showed evidence of utilising a source other than glucose for growth when co-cultured with P. stipitis.     

Rapid ethanol production at elevated temperatures by engineered thermotolerant Kluyveromyces marxianus via the NADP(H)-preferring xylose reductase-xylitol dehydrogenase pathway

Conversion of xylose to ethanol by yeasts is a challenge because of the redox imbalances under oxygen-limited conditions. The thermotolerant yeast Kluyveromyces marxianus grows well with xylose as a carbon source at elevated temperatures, but its xylose fermentation ability is weak. In this study, a combination of the NADPH-preferring xylose reductase (XR) from Neurospora crassa and the NADP⁺-preferring xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) mutant from Scheffersomyces stipitis (Pichia stipitis) was constructed. The xylose fermentation ability and redox balance of the recombinant strains were improved significantly by over-expression of several downstream genes. The intracellular concentrations of coenzymes and the reduced coenzyme/oxidized coenzyme ratio increased significantly in these metabolic strains. The byproducts, such as glycerol and acetic acid, were significantly reduced by the disruption of glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GPD1). The resulting engineered K. marxianus YZJ088 strain produced 44.95 g/L ethanol from 118.39 g/L xylose with a productivity of 2.49 g/L/h at 42 °C. Additionally, YZJ088 realized glucose and xylose co-fermentation and produced 51.43 g/L ethanol from a mixture of 103.97 g/L xylose and 40.96 g/L glucose with a productivity of 2.14 g/L/h at 42 °C. These promising results validate the YZJ088 strain as an excellent producer of ethanol from xylose through the synthetic xylose assimilation pathway.     

An evaluation of cellulose saccharification and fermentation with an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae capable of cellobiose and xylose utilization

Commercial-scale cellulosic ethanol production has been hindered by high costs associated with cellulose-to-glucose conversion and hexose and pentose co-fermentation. Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation (SSF) with a yeast strain capable of xylose and cellobiose co-utilization has been proposed as a possible avenue to reduce these costs. The recently developed DA24-16 strain of Saccharomyces cerevisiae incorporates a xylose assimilation pathway and a cellodextrin transporter (CDT) that permit rapid growth on xylose and cellobiose. In the current work, a mechanistic kinetic model of cellulase-catalyzed hydrolysis of cellulose was combined with a multi-substrate model of microbial growth to investigate the ability of DA24-16 and improved cellobiose-consuming strains to obviate the need for exogenously added β-glucosidase and to assess the impact of cellobiose utilization on SSF and separate hydrolysis and fermentation (SHF). Results indicate that improved CDT-containing strains capable of growing on cellobiose as rapidly as on glucose produced ethanol nearly as rapidly as non-CDT-containing yeast supplemented with β-glucosidase. In producing 75 g/L ethanol, SSF with any strain did not result in shorter residence times than SHF with a 12 h saccharification step. Strains with improved cellobiose utilization are therefore unlikely to allow higher titers to be reached more quickly in SSF than in SHF.     

Development and application of co-culture for ethanol production by co-fermentation of glucose and xylose: a systematic review

This article reviews current co-culture systems for fermenting mixtures of glucose and xylose to ethanol. Thirty-five co-culture systems that ferment either synthetic glucose and xylose mixture or various biomass hydrolysates are examined. Strain combinations, fermentation modes and conditions, and fermentation performance for these co-culture systems are compared and discussed. It is noted that the combination of Pichia stipitis with Saccharomyces cerevisiae or its respiratory-deficient mutant is most commonly used. One of the best results for fermentation of glucose and xylose mixture is achieved by using co-culture of immobilized Zymomonas mobilis and free cells of P. stipitis, giving volumetric ethanol production of 1.277 g/l/h and ethanol yield of 0.49–0.50 g/g. The review discloses that, as a strategy for efficient conversion of glucose and xylose, co-culture fermentation for ethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass can increase ethanol yield and production rate, shorten fermentation time, and reduce process costs, and it is a promising technology although immature.     

Fermentation of sugar cane bagasse hemicellulosic hydrolysate and sugar mixtures to ethanol by recombinant Escherichia coli KO11

Escherichia coli KO11, carrying the ethanol pathway genes pdc (pyruvate decarboxylase) and adh (alcohol dehydrogenase) from Zymomonas mobilis integrated into its chromosome, has the ability to metabolize pentoses and hexoses to ethanol, both in synthetic medium and in hemicellulosic hydrolysates. In the fermentation of sugar mixtures simulating hemicellulose hydrolysate sugar composition (10.0 g of glucose/l and 40.0 g of xylose/l) and supplemented with tryptone and yeast extract, recombinant bacteria produced 24.58 g of ethanol/l, equivalent to 96.4% of the maximum theoretical yield. Corn steep powder (CSP), a byproduct of the corn starch-processing industry, was used to replace tryptone and yeast extract. At a concentration of 12.5 g/l, it was able to support the fermentation of glucose (80.0 g/l) to ethanol, with both ethanol yield and volumetric productivity comparable to those obtained with fermentation media containing tryptone and yeast extract. Hemicellulose hydrolysate of sugar cane bagasse supplemented with tryptone and yeast extract was also readily fermented to ethanol within 48 h, and ethanol yield achieved 91.5% of the theoretical maximum conversion efficiency. However, fermentation of bagasse hydrolysate supplemented with 12.5 g of CSP/l took twice as long to complete. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.