Effect of organic acids found in cottonseed hull hydrolysate on the xylitol fermentation by Candida tropicalis

Multi-feedstock biorefinery concept: Valorization of winery wastes by engineered yeast

The wine industry produces significant amounts of by-products and residues that are not properly managed, posing an environmental problem. Grape must surplus, vine shoots, and wine lees have the potential to be used as renewable resources for the production of energy and chemicals. Metabolic engineering efforts have established Saccharomyces cerevisiae as an efficient microbial cell factory for biorefineries. Current biorefineries designed for producing multiple products often rely on just one feedstock, but the bioeconomy would clearly benefit if these biorefineries could efficiently convert multiple feedstocks. Moreover, to reduce the environmental impact of fossil fuel consumption and maximize production economics, a biorefinery should be capable to supplement the manufacture of biofuel with the production of high-value products. This study proposes an integrated approach for the valorization of diverse wastes resulting from winemaking processes through the biosynthesis of xylitol and ethanol. Using genetically modified S. cerevisiae strains, the xylose-rich hemicellulosic fraction of hydrothermally pretreated vine shoots was converted into xylitol, and the cellulosic fraction was used to produce bioethanol. In addition, grape must, enriched in sugars, was efficiently used as a low-cost source for yeast propagation. The production of xylitol was optimized, in a Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation process configuration, by adjusting the inoculum size and enzyme loading. Furthermore, a yeast strain displaying cellulases in the cell surface was applied for the production of bioethanol from the glucan-rich cellulosic. With the addition of grape must and/or wine lees, high ethanol concentrations were reached, which are crucial for the economic feasibility of distillation. This integrated multi-feedstock valorization provides a synergistic alternative for converting a range of winery wastes and by-products into biofuel and an added-value chemical while decreasing waste released to the environment.

Growth of wood-inhabiting yeasts of the Faroe Islands in the presence of spent sulphite liquor

In the microbial community of decaying wood, yeasts are important for the recycling of nutrients. Nevertheless, information on their biodiversity in this niche in the Northern hemisphere is limited. Wood-colonising yeasts encounter identical and similar growth-inhibitory compounds as those in spent sulphite liquor (SSL), an energy-rich, acid hydrolysate and waste product from the paper industry, which may render them well-suited for cultivation in SSL. In the present study, yeasts were isolated from decaying wood on the Faroe Islands and identified based on sequence homology of the ITS and D1/D2 regions. Among the yeasts isolated, Candida argentea, Cystofilobasidium infirmominiatum, Naganishia albidosimilis, Naganishia onofrii, Holtermanniella takashimae and Goffeauzyma gastrica were new to decaying wood in cold and temperate climates. C. argentea and Rhodotorula are rarely-isolated species, with no previous documentation from cold and maritime climates. The isolates were further tested for growth in a medium with increasing concentrations of softwood SSL. Most grew in the presence of 10% SSL. Isolates of Debaryomyces sp., C. argentea and Rhodotorula sp. were the most tolerant. Representatives of Debaryomyces and Rhodotorula have previously been found in decaying wood. In contrast, the least tolerant isolates belonged to species that are rarely reported from decaying wood. The relative importance of individual inhibitors to yeast growth is discussed. To our knowledge, none of the present yeast species have previously been cultivated in SSL medium. Decaying wood can be a useful future source of yeasts for valorisation of various hydrolysates to industrial chemicals and biofuels.

Securing a furan-based biorefinery: disclosing the genetic basis of the degradation of hydroxymethylfurfural and its derivatives in the model fungus Aspergillus nidulans

Hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) is a promising lignocellulosic-derived source for the generation of diverse chemical building blocks constituting an alternative to fossil fuels. However, it remains unanswered if ubiquitous fungi can ensure their efficient decay, similar to that observed in highly specialised fungi. To disclose the genetic basis of HMF degradation in aspergilli, we performed a comprehensive analysis of Aspergillus nidulans ability to tolerate and to degrade HMF and its derivatives (including an HMF-dimer). We identified the degradation pathway using a suite of metabolomics methods and showed that HMF was modified throughout sequential reactions, ultimately yielding derivatives subsequently channelled to the TCA cycle. Based on the previously revealed hmfFGH gene cluster of Cupriavidus basilensis, we combined gene expression of homologous genes in Aspergillus nidulans and functional analyses in single-deletion mutants. Results were complemented with orthology analyses across the genomes of twenty-five fungal species. Our results support high functional redundancy for the initial steps of the HMF degradation pathway in the majority of the analysed fungal genomes and the assignment of a single-copy furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid decarboxylase gene in A. nidulans. Collectively our data made apparent the superior capacity of aspergilli to mineralise HMF, furthering the environmental sustainability of a furan-based chemistry.

Isolation and Characterization of the Stress-Tolerant Candida tropicalis YHJ1 and Evaluation of Its Xylose Reductase for Xylitol Production From Acid Pre-treatment Wastewater

A stress-tolerant yeast was isolated from honey using acid hydrolysate generated from sequential acid-/alkali-pretreatment of empty palm fruit bunch fiber (EPFBF). The isolated yeast was identified molecularly, taxonomically, and morphologically as Candida tropicalis YHJ1, and analyzed for application in xylitol production. The isolated yeast showed stress tolerance toward various chemical reagents and could grow with up to 600 g/L xylose in the culture medium. This yeast also had a broad carbohydrate utilization spectrum, and its xylitol yield was greatest in medium supplemented with xylose as the sole carbon source. In batch fermentation for xylitol production, the yeast could convert xylose prepared from acidic EPFBF pretreatment wastewater into xylitol. Interestingly, C. tropicalis YHJ1 xylose reductase, containing a Ser279 residue, exhibited more effective xylitol conversion compared to orthologous Candida enzymes containing Leu279 or Asn279; this improvement was associated with NADPH binding, as predicted through homologous structure modeling and enzyme kinetic analysis. Taken together, these results show a novel stress-tolerant yeast strain that may be applicable to xylitol production from toxic lignocellulosic byproducts.

Nitric Acid-Treated Carbon Fibers with Enhanced Hydrophilicity for Candida tropicalis Immobilization in Xylitol Fermentation

Nitric acid (HNO₃)-treated carbon fiber (CF) rich in hydrophilic groups was applied as a cell-immobilized carrier for xylitol fermentation. Using scanning electron microscopy, we characterized the morphology of the HNO₃-treated CF. Additionally, we evaluated the immobilized efficiency (IE) of Candida tropicalis and xylitol fermentation yield by investigating the surface properties of nitric acid treated CF, specifically, the acidic group content, zero charge point, degree of moisture and contact angle. We found that adhesion is the major mechanism for cell immobilization and that it is greatly affected by the hydrophilic–hydrophilic surface properties. In our experiments, we found 3 hto be the optimal time for treating CF with nitric acid, resulting in an improved IE of Candida tropicalis of 0.98 g∙g⁻¹ and the highest xylitol yield and volumetric productivity (70.13% and 1.22 g∙L⁻¹∙h⁻¹, respectively). The HNO₃-treated CF represents a promising method for preparing biocompatible biocarriers for multi-batch fermentation.

Metabolic responses in Candida tropicalis to complex inhibitors during xylitol bioconversion

During xylitol fermentation, Candida tropicalis is often inhibited by inhibitors in hemicellulose hydrolysate. The mechanisms involved in the metabolic responses to inhibitor stress and the resistances to inhibitors are still not clear. To understand the inhibition mechanisms and the metabolic responses to inhibitors, a GC/MS-based metabolomics approach was performed on C. tropicalis treated with and without complex inhibitors (CI, including furfural, phenol and acetic acid). Partial least squares discriminant analysis was used to determine the metabolic variability between CI-treated groups and control groups, and 25 metabolites were identified as possible entities responsible for the discrimination caused by inhibitors. We found that xylose uptake rate and xylitol oxidation rate were promoted by CI treatment. Metabolomics analysis showed that the flux from xylulose to pentose phosphate pathway increased, and tricarboxylic acid cycle was disturbed by CI. Moreover, the changes in levels of 1,3-propanediol, trehalose, saturated fatty acids and amino acids showed different mechanisms involved in metabolic responses to inhibitor stress. The increase of 1,3-propanediol was considered to be correlated with regulating redox balance and osmoregulation. The increase of trehalose might play a role in protein stabilization and cellular membranes protection. Saturated fatty acids could cause the decrease of membrane fluidity and make the plasma membrane rigid to maintain the integrity of plasma membrane. The deeper understanding of the inhibition mechanisms and the metabolic responses to inhibitors will provide us with more information on the metabolism regulation during xylitol bioconversion and the construction of industrial strains with inhibitor tolerance for better utilization of bioresource.