Bacteroides xylanolyticus sp. nov., a xylanolytic bacterium from methane producing cattle manure

As part of a study of the biogas production from cattle waste, xylanolytic bacteria were isolated from enrichments of fermenting cattle manure. From 34 isolates, mostly Gram-negative rods, a typical strain was investigated in more detail. It was an anaerobic non-sporeforming, Gramnegative rod, which was motile with peritrichous flagella. This organism fermented xylan and many soluble sugars (glucose, cellobiose, mannose, xylose, arabinose). Other hemicelluloses such as gum xanthan, laminaran, locust bean gum, and gum arabic were not utilized. It also could not use cellulose. Fermentation products were carbon dioxide, hydrogen, acetate and ethanol. The bacterium produced carboxymethylcellulase and xylanase, especially when growing on xylan. Growth was optimal between 25°C and 40°C and between pH 6.5 and 7.5. The guanine plus cytosine content of the DNA was 34.8±0.8%. The isolate was identified as a member of the genus Bacteroides, and a new species is proposed: Bacteroides xylanolyticus (xylan dissolving). The type strain of B. xylanolyticus is strain X5-1 (DSM 3808).     

Sclerotium rolfsii: Status in cellulase research

Abstract Microbial degradation of native cellulose to glucose is catalysed by cellulases which refers to a group of enzymes acting in concert. The extracellular enzyme systems of Trichoderma reesei, Sporotrichum pulverulentum, Aspergillus niger and Sclerotium rolfsii have been examined more extensively than other microbial sources. The objective of this review is to present a comparative study of the research on cellulase and hemicellulase enzymes from S. rolfsii .     

利用合成气生产生物基醇类化学品的研究进展

以合成气为底物生产乙醇、丁醇、己醇等生物基醇类化学品可以降低原料成本,减轻对化石燃料的依赖,推动碳中和目标的实现。概述了产乙酸菌中能够利用合成气的Wood-Ljungdahl途径及该过程中产乙酸菌的能量节约机制,综述了产乙酸菌遗传操作工具的发展及代谢工程改造进展。大量研究揭示了发酵条件（如温度、pH、金属离子、有机氮源、硝酸盐等）对产乙酸菌生长及醇类产物合成具有复杂的影响。气体成分及气液传质效率也是影响合成气利用的重要因素。另外,指出了利用合成气生产生物基醇类化学品现存的瓶颈问题,并展望了未来的研究方向,包括开发产乙酸中的高效基因编辑方法,在模式菌株中构建合成气利用途径、优化温度、pH、反应器设计及利用廉价培养基进行发酵。     

Commercial riboflavin production by recombinant Bacillus subtilis: down-stream processing and comparison of the composition of riboflavin produced by fermentation or chemical synthesis

A novel process for riboflavin production using a recombinant Bacillus subtilis strain has been developed. Here we describe a down-stream processing procedure to obtain riboflavin qualities having a minimal content of 96% (‘feed-grade’) and 98% (‘food/pharma-grade’) riboflavin, respectively. Compared to riboflavin produced by chemical synthesis, products with improved chemical purity were obtained. All compounds representing more than 0.1% of the final products were identified. Feed-grade riboflavin material ex fermentation contained small amounts of amino acids and amino sugars and the biosynthetic riboflavin precursor dimethyl-ribityl-lumazine. All other side products found were derived from riboflavin, resulted from the purification procedure and were also found in riboflavin obtained by chemical synthesis. The Bacillus-produced riboflavin does not contain DNA. The data presented here were used to obtain product approval for the commercial application in the USA, Japan and the UK. Received 22 July 1998/ Accepted in revised form 8 November 1998     

搅拌对红霉素发酵的影响

在20t工业发酵罐中,研究了涡轮桨和翼形轴流桨搅拌对红霉素发酵过程的影响,重点考察了粘度、溶氧、效价、搅拌电流和糖代谢等过程参数的变化,以及搅拌功耗与发酵产量之间的关系。研究结果表明：(1)不同的搅拌桨搅拌其发酵过程参数(粘度,溶氧,效价等)随时间的变化曲线有明显的差异;(2)搅拌功耗同发酵产量之间的关系,翼形桨明显不同于涡轮桨;(3)在相同的生产条件下,用翼形桨代替涡轮桨可节省搅拌功耗。     

Fermentation of cysteate by a sulfate-reducing bacterium

We isolated a strictly anaerobic bacterium, strain GRZCYSA, from a sludge digestor for its ability to ferment cysteate (2-amino-3-sulfopropionate). The organism also fermented the organosulfonates isethionate (2-hydroxyethanesulfonate) and aminomethanesulfonate, but taurine (2-aminoethanesulfonate) was not a substrate. Strain GRZCYSA, a gram-negative, oxidase-negative and catalase-positive vibrio that could reduce sulfate and contained desulfoviridin, was tentatively identified as Desulfovibrio sp. Utilization of cysteate as a substrate for fermentative growth led to the formation of four products identified as acetate, ammonia, and equimolar amounts of sulfide and sulfate. The fermentation was in balance. Some reactions involved in this novel process were detected in cell-free extracts in which ammonia and acetate were formed from cysteate. Received: 10 March 1997 / Accepted: 14 May 1997     

Utilization of prawn waste for chitinase production by the marine fungus Beauveria bassiana by solid state fermentation

Prawn waste, a chitinous solid waste of the shellfish processing industry, was used as a substrate for chitinase production by the marine fungus Beauveria bassiana BTMF S10, in a solid state fermentation (SSF) culture. Theprocess parameters influencing SSF were optimized. A maximum chitinase yield of 248.0 units/g initial dry substrate (U/gIDS) was obtained in a medium containing a 5:1 ratio (w/v) of prawn waste/sea water, 1% (w/w) NaCl,2.5% (w/w) KH2PO4, 425–600m substrate particle size at 27°C, initial pH 9.5, and after 5 days of incubation. The presence of yeast extract reduced chitinase yield. The results indicate scope for the utilization of shellfish processing (prawn) waste for the industrial production of chitinase by using solid state fermentation.     

EFFECTS OF YEAST,FERMENTATION TIME,AND PRESERVATION METHODS ON TARHANA

The physicochemical properties of tarhana soup produced with different dough treatments, fermentation times, and preservation methods were examined. Tarhana doughs were prepared with yogurt (control) or baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) and fermented for 3 days. Samples were taken at 24, 48, and 72 hr. Samples were then preserved via one of four methods: sun dried, dried in the shade, vacumn dried, and frozen. Frozen samples produced lower organic acid levels after 72 hr of fermentation in both control (0.68 g/100 g) and yeast (0.61 g/100 g) applications than samples that were dried (0.94 g/100 g control samples; 0.81 g/100 g samples with yeast). Increasing fermentation time resulted in a significant effect on the formation of organic acid in the tarhana (p < .01). At 72 hr of fermentation, total acidity increased 11%, 17%, and 23% for tarhana samples vacumn-dried, sun-dried, and dried in the shade, respectively. Preservation methods also affected the moisture, ash, crude protein, total acidity, pH, salt, fat, reducing sugar levels, and the sensory assestment of tarhana soup (p < .01). Sensory characteristics were not significantly affected by baker's yeast in any of the preservation methods used (p > .01). However, sensory scores for tarhana prepared from the samples dried in a sheltered area showed a reduction in color desireablilty as the fermentation time increased. The soup prepared from frozen tarhana (72 hr fermentation, with yeast) had the highest scores with respect to color, mouth feel, flavor, and overall acceptability. Vacuum-dried samples' scores in these areas were also high in comparison to the two other drying methods.     

Physiological functions of pyruvate:NADP+ oxidoreductase and 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase in Euglena gracilis under aerobic and anaerobic conditions

In Euglena gracilis, pyruvate:NADP⁺ oxidoreductase, in addition to the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex, functions for the oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate in the mitochondria. Furthermore, the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex is absent, and instead 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase is found in the mitochondria. To elucidate the central carbon and energy metabolisms in Euglena under aerobic and anaerobic conditions, physiological significances of these enzymes involved in 2-oxoacid metabolism were examined by gene silencing experiments. The pyruvate dehydrogenase complex was indispensable for aerobic cell growth in a glucose medium, although its activity was less than 1% of that of pyruvate:NADP⁺ oxidoreductase. In contrast, pyruvate:NADP⁺ oxidoreductase was only involved in the anaerobic energy metabolism (wax ester fermentation). Aerobic cell growth was almost completely suppressed when the 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase gene was silenced, suggesting that the tricarboxylic acid cycle is modified in Euglena and 2-oxoglutarate decarboxylase takes the place of the 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complex in the aerobic respiratory metabolism.     

Industrial yeast strain engineered to ferment ethanol from lignocellulosic biomass

In this study an industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae yeast strain capable of fermenting ethanol from pretreated lignocellulosic material was engineered. Genes encoding cellulases (endoglucanase, exoglucanase and β-glucosidase) were integrated into the chromosomal ribosomal DNA and delta regions of a derivative of the K1-V1116 wine yeast strain. The engineered cellulolytic yeast produces ethanol in one step through simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of pretreated biomass without the addition of exogenously produced enzymes. When ethanol fermentation was performed with 10% dry weight of pretreated corn stover, the recombinant strain fermented 63% of the cellulose in 96 h and the ethanol titer reached 2.6% v/v. These results demonstrate that cellulolytic S. cerevisiae strains can be used as a platform for developing an economical advanced biofuel process.