Fermentation of galacturonic acid and pectin-rich materials to ethanol by genetically modified strains of Erwinia

Evaluation of the four ethanologenic constructs of bacteria in the genus Erwinia indicates that two strains E. chrysanthemi EC16 and E. carotovora SR38 show promise for development of direct hydrolysis and fermentation of pectin-rich substrates to mixtures of ethanol and acetate. Both strains fermented glucose to ethanol in nearly theoretical yields, but produced mainly acetate and ethanol by fermentation of D-galacturonic acid. Both strains depolymerized citrus pectin, polygalacturonic acid and polysaccharides in citrus peel and converted resulting sugars to carbon dioxide, acetate, ethanol and lesser amounts of formate and succinate.     

Wnt7a stimulates myogenic stem cell motility and engraftment resulting in improved muscle strength

Wnt7a/Fzd7 signaling stimulates skeletal muscle growth and repair by inducing the symmetric expansion of satellite stem cells through the planar cell polarity pathway and by activating the Akt/mTOR growth pathway in muscle fibers. Here we describe a third level of activity where Wnt7a/Fzd7 increases the polarity and directional migration of mouse satellite cells and human myogenic progenitors through activation of Dvl2 and the small GTPase Rac1. Importantly, these effects can be exploited to potentiate the outcome of myogenic cell transplantation into dystrophic muscles. We observed that a short Wnt7a treatment markedly stimulated tissue dispersal and engraftment, leading to significantly improved muscle function. Moreover, myofibers at distal sites that fused with Wnt7a-treated cells were hypertrophic, suggesting that the transplanted cells deliver activated Wnt7a/Fzd7 signaling complexes to recipient myofibers. Taken together, we describe a viable and effective ex vivo cell modulation process that profoundly enhances the efficacy of stem cell therapy for skeletal muscle.     

Fermentation of galacturonic acid and other sugars in orange peel hydrolysates by the ethanologenic strain of Escherichia coli

Summary Enzymatic hydrolysates of orange peel contain relatively high levels of galacturonic acid and arabinose which are not fermentable to ethanol by yeasts. We observed complete utilization of both sugars during fermentation of peel hydrolysates by the ethanologenic construct of E. coli KO11. The bacterium exhibits a novel pattern of galacturonic acid fermentation producing equimolar amounts of acetate and ethanol accompanied by carbon dioxide.