Gene‐Centric Metagenome Analysis Reveals Gene Clusters for Carbon Monoxide Conversion and Validates Isolation of a Clostridial Acetogen for C2 Chemical Production |
| |
Authors: | Hyunsoo Kang Byeonghyeok Park Nicole R. Bolo Duleepa Pathiraja Shinyoung Park Minseok Cha In‐G. Choi In S. Chang |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdangwagi‐ro, Buk‐gu, Gwangju, 61005 Republic of Korea;2. School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology Korea University, 5 Anam‐ro, Seongbuk‐gu, Seoul, 02841 Republic of Korea;3. International Environmental Research Institute Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdangwagi‐ro, Buk‐gu, Gwangju, 61005 Republic of Korea;4. Dr. In‐Geol Choi, School of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, Korea University, 5 Anam‐ro, Seongbuk‐gu, Seoul 02841, Republic of Korea. E‐mail:;5. Dr. In Seop Chang, School of Earth Sciences and Environmental Engineering, Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology, 123 Cheomdangwagi‐ro, Buk‐gu, Gwangju 61005, Republic of Korea. E‐mail: |
| |
Abstract: | Syngas fermentation is largely dependent on acetogens that occur in various anaerobic environmental samples including soil, sediment, and feces. Here the authors report the metagenomic isolation of acetogens for C2 chemical production from syngas. Screening acetogens for C2 chemical production typically involves detecting the presence of the Wood‐Ljungdahl Pathway for carbon monoxide conversion. The authors collect samples from river‐bed sediments potentially having conditions suitable for carbon monoxide‐converting anaerobes, and enrich the samples under carbon monoxide selection pressure. Changes in the microbial community during the experimental procedure are investigated using both amplicon and shotgun metagenome sequencing. Combined next‐generation sequencing techniques enabl in situ tracking of the major acetogenic bacterial group and lead to the discovery of a 16 kb of gene cluster for WLP. The authors isolat an acetogenic clostridial strain from the enrichment culture (strain H21‐9). The functional activity of H21‐9 is confirmed by its high level of production of C2 chemicals from carbon monoxide (77.4 mM acetate and 2.5 mM of ethanol). This approach of incorporating experimental enrichment with metagenomic analysis can facilitate the discovery of novel strains from environmental habitats by tracking target strains during the screening process, combined with validation of their functional activity. |
| |
Keywords: | acetogens carbon monoxide environmental cultures genome‐centric metagenome analysis shotgun metagenome sequencing strain isolation |
|
|