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Vaz LP, Sears HB, Miranda EA, Holwerda EK, Lynd LR. Solubilization of sugarcane bagasse by mono and cocultures of thermophilic anaerobes with and without cotreatment. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2024; 406:130982. [PMID: 38879055 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2024.130982] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2024] [Revised: 06/05/2024] [Accepted: 06/13/2024] [Indexed: 06/21/2024]
Abstract
Cotreatment, mechanical disruption of lignocellulosic biomass during microbial fermentation, is a potential alternative to thermochemical pretreatment as a means of increasing the accessibility of lignocellulose to biological attack. Successful implementation of cotreatment requires microbes that can withstand milling, while solubilizing and utilizing carbohydrates from lignocellulose. In this context, cotreatment with thermophilic, lignocellulose-fermenting bacteria has been successfully evaluated for a number of lignocellulosic feedstocks. Here, cotreatment was applied to sugarcane bagasse using monocultures of the cellulose-fermenting Clostridium thermocellum and cocultures with the hemicellulose-fermenting Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum. This resulted in 76 % carbohydrate solubilization (a 1.8-fold increase over non-cotreated controls) on 10 g/L solids loading, having greater effect on the hemicellulose fraction. With cotreatment, fermentation by wild-type cultures at low substrate concentrations increased cumulative product formation by 45 % for the monoculture and 32 % for the coculture. These findings highlight the potential of cotreatment for enhancing deconstruction of sugarcane bagasse using thermophilic bacteria.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luisa P Vaz
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Materials and Bioprocess Engineering, Av. Albert Einstein 500, Campinas, SP 13083-852, Brazil
| | - Helen B Sears
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 15 Thayer Drive, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
| | - Everson A Miranda
- Universidade Estadual de Campinas, School of Chemical Engineering, Department of Materials and Bioprocess Engineering, Av. Albert Einstein 500, Campinas, SP 13083-852, Brazil
| | - Evert K Holwerda
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 15 Thayer Drive, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
| | - Lee R Lynd
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 15 Thayer Drive, Hanover, NH 03755, USA
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2
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Daley SR, Kirby S, Sparling R. Adaptive evolution of Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 on alternate carbon sources leads to altered fermentation profiles. Can J Microbiol 2024. [PMID: 38832648 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2024-0004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/05/2024]
Abstract
Consolidated bioprocessing candidate, Clostridium thermocellum, is a cellulose hydrolysis specialist, with the ability to ferment the released sugars to produce bioethanol. C. thermocellum is generally studied with model substrates Avicel and cellobiose to understand the metabolic pathway leading to ethanol. In the present study, adaptive laboratory evolution, allowing C. thermocellum DSM 1237 to adapt to growth on glucose, fructose, and sorbitol, with the prospect that some strains will adapt their metabolism to yield more ethanol. Adaptive growth on glucose and sorbitol resulted in an approximately 1 mM and 2 mM increase in ethanol yield per millimolar glucose equivalent, respectively, accompanied by a shift in the production of the other expected fermentation end products. The increase in ethanol yield observed for sorbitol adapted cells was due to the carbon source being more reduced compared to cellobiose. Glucose and cellobiose have similar oxidation states thus the increase in ethanol yield is due to the rerouting of electrons from other reduced metabolic products excluding H2 which did not decrease in yield. There was no increase in ethanol yield observed for fructose adapted cells, but there was an unanticipated elimination of formate production, also observed in sorbitol adapted cells suggesting that fructose has regulatory implications on formate production either at the transcription or protein level.
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Affiliation(s)
- Steve R Daley
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Samantha Kirby
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
| | - Richard Sparling
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
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3
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Yue S, Zhang M. Global trends and future prospects of lactic acid production from lignocellulosic biomass. RSC Adv 2023; 13:32699-32712. [PMID: 37942446 PMCID: PMC10628742 DOI: 10.1039/d3ra06577d] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/27/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023] Open
Abstract
Lignocellulosic biomass (LCB) stands as a substantial and sustainable resource capable of addressing energy and environmental challenges. This study employs bibliometric analysis to investigate research trends in lactic acid (LA) production from LCB spanning the years 1991 to 2022. The analysis reveals a consistent growth trajectory with minor fluctuations in LA production from LCB. Notably, there's a significant upswing in publications since 2009. Bioresource Technology and Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology emerge as the top two journals with extensive contributions in the realm of LA production from LCB. China takes a prominent position in this research domain, boasting the highest total publication count (736), betweenness centrality value (0.30), and the number of collaborating countries (42), surpassing the USA and Japan by a considerable margin. The author keywords analysis provides valuable insights into the core themes in LA production from LCB. Furthermore, co-citation reference analysis delineates four principal domains related to LA production from LCB, with three associated with microbial conversion and one focused on chemical catalytic conversion. Additionally, this study examines commonly used LCB, microbial LA producers, and compares microbial fermentation to chemical catalytic conversion for LCB-based LA production, providing comprehensive insights into the current state of this field and suggesting future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Siyuan Yue
- Laboratory of Soil and Environmental Microbiology, Division of Systems Bioengineering, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School of Bioresources and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka 819-0395 Japan
- Institute of Microbiology, Jiangxi Academy of Sciences Nanchang Jiangxi Province 330096 China
| | - Min Zhang
- Laboratory of Soil and Environmental Microbiology, Division of Systems Bioengineering, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School of Bioresources and Bioenvironmental Sciences, Kyushu University Fukuoka 819-0395 Japan
- Jiangxi Copper Technology Research Institute, Jiangxi Copper Corporation Nanchang Jiangxi Province 330096 China
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Sharma BD, Olson DG, Giannone RJ, Hettich RL, Lynd LR. Characterization and Amelioration of Filtration Difficulties Encountered in Metabolomic Studies of Clostridium thermocellum at Elevated Sugar Concentrations. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0040623. [PMID: 37039651 PMCID: PMC10132107 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00406-23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/12/2023] [Indexed: 04/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium thermocellum, a promising candidate for consolidated bioprocessing, has been subjected to numerous engineering strategies for enhanced bioethanol production. Measurements of intracellular metabolites at substrate concentrations high enough (>50 g/L) to allow the production of industrially relevant titers of ethanol would inform efforts toward this end but have been difficult due to the production of a viscous substance that interferes with the filtration and quenching steps during metabolite extraction. To determine whether this problem is unique to C. thermocellum, we performed filtration experiments with other organisms that have been engineered for high-titer ethanol production, including Escherichia coli and Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum. We addressed the problem through a series of improvements, including active pH control (to reduce problems with viscosity), investigation of different filter materials and pore sizes (to increase the filtration capacity), and correction for extracellular metabolite concentrations, and we developed a technique for more accurate intracellular metabolite measurements at elevated substrate concentrations. IMPORTANCE The accurate measurement of intracellular metabolites (metabolomics) is an integral part of metabolic engineering for the enhanced production of industrially important compounds and a useful technique to understand microbial physiology. Previous work tended to focus on model organisms under laboratory conditions. As we try to perform metabolomic studies with a wider range of organisms under conditions that more closely represent those found in nature or industry, we have found limitations in existing techniques. For example, fast filtration is an important step in quenching metabolism in preparation for metabolite extraction; however, it does not work for cultures of C. thermocellum at high substrate concentrations. In this work, we characterize the extent of the problem and develop techniques to overcome it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bishal D. Sharma
- Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Daniel G. Olson
- Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Richard J. Giannone
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Robert L. Hettich
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
| | - Lee R. Lynd
- Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, USA
- Enchi Corporation, Holliston, Massachusetts, USA
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Schroeder WL, Kuil T, van Maris AJA, Olson DG, Lynd LR, Maranas CD. A detailed genome-scale metabolic model of Clostridium thermocellum investigates sources of pyrophosphate for driving glycolysis. Metab Eng 2023; 77:306-322. [PMID: 37085141 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2023.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2023] [Revised: 03/24/2023] [Accepted: 04/08/2023] [Indexed: 04/23/2023]
Abstract
Lignocellulosic biomass is an abundant and renewable source of carbon for chemical manufacturing, yet it is cumbersome in conventional processes. A promising, and increasingly studied, candidate for lignocellulose bioprocessing is the thermophilic anaerobe Clostridium thermocellum given its potential to produce ethanol, organic acids, and hydrogen gas from lignocellulosic biomass under high substrate loading. Possessing an atypical glycolytic pathway which substitutes GTP or pyrophosphate (PPi) for ATP in some steps, including in the energy-investment phase, identification, and manipulation of PPi sources are key to engineering its metabolism. Previous efforts to identify the primary pyrophosphate have been unsuccessful. Here, we explore pyrophosphate metabolism through reconstructing, updating, and analyzing a new genome-scale stoichiometric model for C. thermocellum, iCTH669. Hundreds of changes to the former GEM, iCBI655, including correcting cofactor usages, addressing charge and elemental balance, standardizing biomass composition, and incorporating the latest experimental evidence led to a MEMOTE score improvement to 94%. We found agreement of iCTH669 model predictions across all available fermentation and biomass yield datasets. The feasibility of hundreds of PPi synthesis routes, newly identified and previously proposed, were assessed through the lens of the iCTH669 model including biomass synthesis, tRNA synthesis, newly identified sources, and previously proposed PPi-generating cycles. In all cases, the metabolic cost of PPi synthesis is at best equivalent to investment of one ATP suggesting no direct energetic advantage for the cofactor substitution in C. thermocellum. Even though no unique source of PPi could be gleaned by the model, by combining with gene expression data two most likely scenarios emerge. First, previously investigated PPi sources likely account for most PPi production in wild-type strains. Second, alternate metabolic routes as encoded by iCTH669 can collectively maintain PPi levels even when previously investigated synthesis cycles are disrupted. Model iCTH669 is available at github.com/maranasgroup/iCTH669.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wheaton L Schroeder
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Teun Kuil
- Department of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Antonius J A van Maris
- Department of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Daniel G Olson
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Lee R Lynd
- Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Costas D Maranas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA; Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge, TN, USA.
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The Roles of Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide Phosphate Reoxidation and Ammonium Assimilation in the Secretion of Amino Acids as Byproducts of Clostridium thermocellum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0175322. [PMID: 36625594 PMCID: PMC9888227 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01753-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium thermocellum is a cellulolytic thermophile that is considered for the consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulose to ethanol. Improvements in ethanol yield are required for industrial implementation, but the incompletely understood causes of amino acid secretion impede progress. In this study, amino acid secretion was investigated via gene deletions in ammonium-regulated, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH)-supplying and NADPH-consuming pathways as well as via physiological characterization in cellobiose-limited or ammonium-limited chemostats. First, the contribution of the NADPH-supplying malate shunt was studied with strains using either the NADPH-yielding malate shunt (Δppdk) or a redox-independent conversion of PEP to pyruvate (Δppdk ΔmalE::Peno-pyk). In the latter, branched-chain amino acids, especially valine, were significantly reduced, whereas the ethanol yield increased from 46 to 60%, suggesting that the secretion of these amino acids balances the NADPH surplus from the malate shunt. The unchanged amino acid secretion in Δppdk falsified a previous hypothesis on an ammonium-regulated PEP-to-pyruvate flux redistribution. The possible involvement of another NADPH-supplier, namely, NADH-dependent reduced ferredoxin:NADP+ oxidoreductase (nfnAB), was also excluded. Finally, the deletion of glutamate synthase (gogat) in ammonium assimilation resulted in the upregulation of NADPH-linked glutamate dehydrogenase activity and decreased amino acid yields. Since gogat in C. thermocellum is putatively annotated as ferredoxin-linked, a claim which is supported by the product redistribution observed in this study, this deletion likely replaced ferredoxin with NADPH in ammonium assimilation. Overall, these findings indicate that a need to reoxidize NADPH is driving the observed amino acid secretion, likely at the expense of the NADH needed for ethanol formation. This suggests that metabolic engineering strategies that simplify the redox metabolism and ammonium assimilation can contribute to increased ethanol yields. IMPORTANCE Improving the ethanol yield of C. thermocellum is important for the industrial implementation of this microorganism in consolidated bioprocessing. A central role of NADPH in driving amino acid byproduct formation was demonstrated by eliminating the NADPH-supplying malate shunt and separately by changing the cofactor specificity in ammonium assimilation. With amino acid secretion diverting carbon and electrons away from ethanol, these insights are important for further metabolic engineering to reach industrial requirements on ethanol yield. This study also provides chemostat data that are relevant for training genome-scale metabolic models and for improving the validity of their predictions, especially considering the reduced degree-of-freedom in the redox metabolism of the strains generated here. In addition, this study advances the fundamental understanding on the mechanisms underlying amino acid secretion in cellulolytic Clostridia as well as on the regulation and cofactor specificity in ammonium assimilation. Together, these efforts aid in the development of C. thermocellum for the sustainable consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulose to ethanol with minimal pretreatment.
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Kuil T, Yayo J, Pechan J, Küchler J, van Maris AJA. Ethanol tolerance of Clostridium thermocellum: the role of chaotropicity, temperature and pathway thermodynamics on growth and fermentative capacity. Microb Cell Fact 2022; 21:273. [PMID: 36567317 PMCID: PMC9790125 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-022-01999-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 12/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clostridium thermocellum is a promising candidate for consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol. The low ethanol tolerance of this microorganism is one of the remaining obstacles to industrial implementation. Ethanol inhibition can be caused by end-product inhibition and/or chaotropic-induced stress resulting in increased membrane fluidization and disruption of macromolecules. The highly reversible glycolysis of C. thermocellum might be especially sensitive to end-product inhibition. The chaotropic effect of ethanol is known to increase with temperature. This study explores the relative contributions of these two aspects to investigate and possibly mitigate ethanol-induced stress in growing and non-growing C. thermocellum cultures. RESULTS To separate chaotropic from thermodynamic effects of ethanol toxicity, a non-ethanol producing strain AVM062 (Pclo1313_2638::ldh* ∆adhE) was constructed by deleting the bifunctional acetaldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase gene, adhE, in a lactate-overproducing strain. Exogenously added ethanol lowered the growth rate of both wild-type and the non-ethanol producing mutant. The mutant strain grew quicker than the wild-type at 50 and 55 °C for ethanol concentrations ≥ 10 g L-1 and was able to reach higher maximum OD600 at all ethanol concentrations and temperatures. For the wild-type, the maximum OD600 and relative growth rates were higher at 45 and 50 °C, compared to 55 °C, for ethanol concentrations ≥ 15 g L-1. For the mutant strain, no positive effect on growth was observed at lower temperatures. Growth-arrested cells of the wild-type demonstrated improved fermentative capacity over time in the presence of ethanol concentrations up to 40 g L-1 at 45 and 50 °C compared to 55 °C. CONCLUSION Positive effects of temperature on ethanol tolerance were limited to wild-type C. thermocellum and are likely related to mechanisms involved in the ethanol-formation pathway and redox cofactor balancing. Lowering the cultivation temperature provides an attractive strategy to improve growth and fermentative capacity at high ethanol titres in high-cellulose loading batch cultivations. Finally, non-ethanol producing strains are useful platform strains to study the effects of chaotropicity and thermodynamics related to ethanol toxicity and allow for deeper understanding of growth and/or fermentation cessation under industrially relevant conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teun Kuil
- grid.5037.10000000121581746Department of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johannes Yayo
- grid.5037.10000000121581746Department of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johanna Pechan
- grid.5037.10000000121581746Department of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Jan Küchler
- grid.5037.10000000121581746Department of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden ,grid.5807.a0000 0001 1018 4307Present Address: Max Plank Institute for Dynamics of Complex Technical Systems, Otto-Von-Guericke-University Magdeburg, Magdeburg, Germany
| | - Antonius J. A. van Maris
- grid.5037.10000000121581746Department of Industrial Biotechnology, School of Engineering Sciences in Chemistry, Biotechnology and Health, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Stockholm, Sweden
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Wang Y, Li L, Xia Y, Zhang T. Reliable and Scalable Identification and Prioritization of Putative Cellulolytic Anaerobes With Large Genome Data. FRONTIERS IN BIOINFORMATICS 2022; 2:813771. [PMID: 36304268 PMCID: PMC9580877 DOI: 10.3389/fbinf.2022.813771] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
In the era of high-throughput sequencing, genetic information that is inherently whispering hints of the microbes’ functional niches is becoming easily accessible; however, properly identifying and characterizing these genetic hints to infer the microbes’ functional niches remains a challenge. Regarding genome-centric interpretation on the specific functional niche of cellulose hydrolysis for anaerobes, often encountered in practice is a lack of confidence in predicting the anaerobes’ real cellulolytic competency based solely on abundances of the varying carbohydrate-active enzyme modules annotated or on their taxonomy affiliation. Recognition of the synergy machineries that include but not limited to the cellulosome gene clusters is equally important as the annotation of individual carbohydrate-active modules or genes. In the interpretation of complete genomes of 2,768 microbe strains whose phenotypes have been well documented, with the incorporation of an automatic recognition of synergy among the carbohydrate active elements annotated, an explicit genotype–phenotype correlation was evidenced to be feasible for cellulolytic anaerobes, and a bioinformatic pipeline was developed accordingly. This genome-centric pipeline would categorize putative cellulolytic anaerobes into six genotype groups based on differential cellulose-hydrolyzing capacity and varying synergy mechanisms. Suggested in this genotype–phenotype correlation analysis was a finer categorization of the cellulosome gene clusters: although cellulosome complexes, by their nature, could enable the assembly of a number of carbohydrate-active units, they do not certainly guarantee the formation of the cellulose–enzyme–microbe complex or the cellulose-hydrolyzing activity of the corresponding anaerobe strains, for example, the well-known Clostridium acetobutylicum strains. Also, recognized in this genotype-phenotype correlation analysis was the genetic foundation of a previously unrecognized machinery that may mediate the microbe–cellulose adhesion, to be specific, enzymes encoded by genes harboring both the surface layer homology and cellulose-binding CBM modules. Applicability of this pipeline on scalable annotation of large genome datasets was further tested with the annotation of 7,902 reference genomes downloaded from NCBI, from which 14 genomes of putative paradigm cellulose-hydrolyzing anaerobes were identified. We believe the pipeline developed in this study would be a good add as a bioinformatic tool for genome-centric interpretation of uncultivated anaerobes, specifically on their functional niche of cellulose hydrolysis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yubo Wang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, China
| | - Liguan Li
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, China
| | - Yu Xia
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, China
- School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology, Shenzhen, China
| | - Tong Zhang
- Environmental Microbiome Engineering and Biotechnology Laboratory, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam, China
- School of Environment and Energy, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China
- Shenzhen Bay Laboratory, Shenzhen, China
- *Correspondence: Tong Zhang,
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Biswal AK, Hengge NN, Black IM, Atmodjo MA, Mohanty SS, Ryno D, Himmel ME, Azadi P, Bomble YJ, Mohnen D. Composition and yield of non-cellulosic and cellulosic sugars in soluble and particulate fractions during consolidated bioprocessing of poplar biomass by Clostridium thermocellum. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS AND BIOPRODUCTS 2022; 15:23. [PMID: 35227303 PMCID: PMC8887089 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-022-02119-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2021] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Terrestrial plant biomass is the primary renewable carbon feedstock for enabling transition to a sustainable bioeconomy. Consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) by the cellulolytic thermophile Clostridium thermocellum offers a single step microbial platform for production of biofuels and biochemicals via simultaneous solubilization of carbohydrates from lignocellulosic biomass and conversion to products. Here, solubilization of cell wall cellulosic, hemicellulosic, and pectic polysaccharides in the liquor and solid residues generated during CBP of poplar biomass by C. thermocellum was analyzed. RESULTS The total amount of biomass solubilized in the C. thermocellum DSM1313 fermentation platform was 5.8, 10.3, and 13.7% of milled non-pretreated poplar after 24, 48, and 120 h, respectively. These results demonstrate solubilization of 24% cellulose and 17% non-cellulosic sugars after 120 h, consistent with prior reports. The net solubilization of non-cellulosic sugars by C. thermocellum (after correcting for the uninoculated control fermentations) was 13 to 36% of arabinose (Ara), xylose (Xyl), galactose (Gal), mannose (Man), and glucose (Glc); and 15% and 3% of fucose and glucuronic acid, respectively. No rhamnose was solubilized and 71% of the galacturonic acid (GalA) was solubilized. These results indicate that C. thermocellum may be selective for the types and/or rate of solubilization of the non-cellulosic wall polymers. Xyl, Man, and Glc were found to accumulate in the fermentation liquor at levels greater than in uninoculated control fermentations, whereas Ara and Gal did not accumulate, suggesting that C. thermocellum solubilizes both hemicelluloses and pectins but utilizes them differently. After five days of fermentation, the relative amount of Rha in the solid residues increased 21% indicating that the Rha-containing polymer rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I) was not effectively solubilized by C. thermocellum CBP, a result confirmed by immunoassays. Comparison of the sugars in the liquor versus solid residue showed that C. thermocellum solubilized hemicellulosic xylan and mannan, but did not fully utilize them, solubilized and appeared to utilize pectic homogalacturonan, and did not solubilize RG-I. CONCLUSIONS The significant relative increase in RG-I in poplar solid residues following CBP indicates that C. thermocellum did not solubilize RG-I. These results support the hypothesis that this pectic glycan may be one barrier for efficient solubilization of poplar by C. thermocellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ajaya K. Biswal
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Neal N. Hengge
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Ian M. Black
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Melani A. Atmodjo
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Sushree S. Mohanty
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - David Ryno
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Michael E. Himmel
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Parastoo Azadi
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
| | - Yannick J. Bomble
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Debra Mohnen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 USA
- Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Rd, Athens, GA 30602 USA
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Beri D, Herring CD, Blahova S, Poudel S, Giannone RJ, Hettich RL, Lynd LR. Coculture with hemicellulose-fermenting microbes reverses inhibition of corn fiber solubilization by Clostridium thermocellum at elevated solids loadings. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2021; 14:24. [PMID: 33461608 PMCID: PMC7814735 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01867-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/24/2020] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The cellulolytic thermophile Clostridium thermocellum is an important biocatalyst due to its ability to solubilize lignocellulosic feedstocks without the need for pretreatment or exogenous enzyme addition. At low concentrations of substrate, C. thermocellum can solubilize corn fiber > 95% in 5 days, but solubilization declines markedly at substrate concentrations higher than 20 g/L. This differs for model cellulose like Avicel, on which the maximum solubilization rate increases in proportion to substrate concentration. The goal of this study was to examine fermentation at increasing corn fiber concentrations and investigate possible reasons for declining performance. RESULTS The rate of growth of C. thermocellum on corn fiber, inferred from CipA scaffoldin levels measured by LC-MS/MS, showed very little increase with increasing solids loading. To test for inhibition, we evaluated the effects of spent broth on growth and cellulase activity. The liquids remaining after corn fiber fermentation were found to be strongly inhibitory to growth on cellobiose, a substrate that does not require cellulose hydrolysis. Additionally, the hydrolytic activity of C. thermocellum cellulase was also reduced to less-than half by adding spent broth. Noting that > 15 g/L hemicellulose oligosaccharides accumulated in the spent broth of a 40 g/L corn fiber fermentation, we tested the effect of various model carbohydrates on growth on cellobiose and Avicel. Some compounds like xylooligosaccharides caused a decline in cellulolytic activity and a reduction in the maximum solubilization rate on Avicel. However, there were no relevant model compounds that could replicate the strong inhibition by spent broth on C. thermocellum growth on cellobiose. Cocultures of C. thermocellum with hemicellulose-consuming partners-Herbinix spp. strain LL1355 and Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum-exhibited lower levels of unfermented hemicellulose hydrolysis products, a doubling of the maximum solubilization rate, and final solubilization increased from 67 to 93%. CONCLUSIONS This study documents inhibition of C. thermocellum with increasing corn fiber concentration and demonstrates inhibition of cellulase activity by xylooligosaccharides, but further work is needed to understand why growth on cellobiose was inhibited by corn fiber fermentation broth. Our results support the importance of hemicellulose-utilizing coculture partners to augment C. thermocellum in the fermentation of lignocellulosic feedstocks at high solids loading.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dhananjay Beri
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
- Centre for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Christopher D Herring
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA.
- Centre for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA.
- Enchi Corporation, Lebanon, NH, 03766, USA.
| | - Sofie Blahova
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
| | - Suresh Poudel
- Centre for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Richard J Giannone
- Centre for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Robert L Hettich
- Centre for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
| | - Lee R Lynd
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, 03755, USA
- Centre for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37830, USA
- Enchi Corporation, Lebanon, NH, 03766, USA
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11
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Froese AG, Sparling R. Cross-feeding and wheat straw extractives enhance growth of Clostridium thermocellum-containing co-cultures for consolidated bioprocessing. Bioprocess Biosyst Eng 2021; 44:819-830. [PMID: 33392746 DOI: 10.1007/s00449-020-02490-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2020] [Accepted: 11/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Co-cultures consisting of three thermophilic and lignocellulolytic bacteria, namely Clostridium thermocellum, C. stercorarium, and Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus, degrade lignocellulosic material in a synergistic manner. When cultured in a defined minimal medium two of the members appeared to be auxotrophic and unable to grow, but the growth of all species was observed in all co-culture combinations, indicating cross-feeding of unidentified growth factors between the members. Growth factors also appeared to be present in water-soluble extractives obtained from wheat straw, allowing for the growth of the auxotrophic monocultures in the defined minimal medium. Cell enumeration during growth on wheat straw in this medium revealed different growth profiles of the members that varied between the co-cultures. End-product profiles also varied substantially between the cultures, with significantly higher ethanol production in all co-cultures compared to the mono-cultures. Understanding interactions between co-culture members, and the additional nutrients provided by lignocellulosic substrates, will aid us in consolidated bioprocessing design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan G Froese
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, 213 Buller Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Richard Sparling
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, 213 Buller Building, Winnipeg, MB, R3T 2N2, Canada.
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12
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Fang D, Wen Z, Lu M, Li A, Ma Y, Tao Y, Jin M. Metabolic and Process Engineering of Clostridium beijerinckii for Butyl Acetate Production in One Step. JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL AND FOOD CHEMISTRY 2020; 68:9475-9487. [PMID: 32806108 DOI: 10.1021/acs.jafc.0c00050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
n-Butyl acetate is an important food additive commonly produced via concentrated sulfuric acid catalysis or immobilized lipase catalysis of butanol and acetic acid. Compared with chemical methods, an enzymatic approach is more environmentally friendly; however, it incurs a higher cost due to lipase production. In vivo biosynthesis via metabolic engineering offers an alternative to produce n-butyl acetate. This alternative combines substrate production (butanol and acetyl-coenzyme A (acetyl-CoA)), alcohol acyltransferase expression, and esterification reaction in one reactor. The alcohol acyltransferase gene ATF1 from Saccharomyces cerevisiae was introduced into Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052, enabling it to directly produce n-butyl acetate from glucose without lipase addition. Extractants were compared and adapted to realize glucose fermentation with in situ n-butyl acetate extraction. Finally, 5.57 g/L of butyl acetate was produced from 38.2 g/L of glucose within 48 h, which is 665-fold higher than that reported previously. This demonstrated the potential of such a metabolic approach to produce n-butyl acetate from biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dahui Fang
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Zhiqiang Wen
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Minrui Lu
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Ang Li
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Yuheng Ma
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Ye Tao
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
| | - Mingjie Jin
- School of Environmental and Biological Engineering, Nanjing University of Science & Technology, Nanjing 210094, China
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13
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Evaluation of Media Components and Process Parameters in a Sensitive and Robust Fed-Batch Syngas Fermentation System with Clostridium ljungdahlii. FERMENTATION-BASEL 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/fermentation6020061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The fermentation of synthesis gas, or syngas, by acetogenic bacteria can help in transitioning from a fossil-fuel-based to a renewable bioeconomy. The main fermentation products of Clostridium ljungdahlii, one of such microorganisms, are acetate and ethanol. A sensitive, robust and reproducible system was established for C. ljungdahlii syngas fermentation, and several process parameters and medium components (pH, gas flow, cysteine and yeast extract) were investigated to assess its impact on the fermentation outcomes, as well as real time gas consumption. Moreover, a closed carbon balance could be achieved with the data obtained. This system is a valuable tool to detect changes in the behavior of the culture. It can be applied for the screening of strains, gas compositions or media components, for a better understanding of the physiology and metabolic regulation of acetogenic bacteria. Here, it was shown that neither yeast extract nor cysteine was a limiting factor for cell growth since their supplementation did not have a noticeable impact on product formation or overall gas consumption. By combining the lowering of both the pH and the gas flow after 24 h, the highest ethanol to acetate ratio was achieved, but with the caveat of lower productivity.
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14
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Kim SI, Kim E, Aghasa A, Hwang S. Shift in bacterial diversity in acidogenesis of gelatin and gluten seeded with various anaerobic digester inocula. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2020; 306:123158. [PMID: 32240942 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.123158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2020] [Accepted: 03/05/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
The aim of this study was to investigate divergence of bacteria degrading model proteins of food-processing wastewater. Gelatin and gluten were used as substrate to represent animal and plant proteins from food wastes, respectively. The inocula were obtained from eight full-scale anaerobic digestion reactors. Food-to-microorganism ratio was 3 g chemical oxygen demand equivalent of substrate per 1 g volatile suspended solids of inoculum. A first-order reaction model revealed reaction constants ranged 1.34 ≤ k ≤ 2.30 d-1 for gelatin and 0.63 ≤ k ≤ 1.69 d-1 for gluten. Metagenomic analysis of 16s rRNA sequences showed that dominant bacteria after gelatin degradation batch were different for each inocula. Klebsiella aerogenes, Hathewaya, Peptoclostridium, or Clostridium collagenovorans were most abundant. Klebsiella aerogenes was the most abundant species after gluten degradation for all inocula.
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Affiliation(s)
- Su In Kim
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Eunji Kim
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Aghasa Aghasa
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea
| | - Seokhwan Hwang
- Division of Environmental Science and Engineering, Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH), 77 Cheongam-Ro, Nam-Gu, Pohang, Gyeongbuk 37673, Republic of Korea.
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15
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Development of a thermophilic coculture for corn fiber conversion to ethanol. Nat Commun 2020; 11:1937. [PMID: 32321909 PMCID: PMC7176698 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-15704-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
The fiber in corn kernels, currently unutilized in the corn to ethanol process, represents an opportunity for introduction of cellulose conversion technology. We report here that Clostridium thermocellum can solubilize over 90% of the carbohydrate in autoclaved corn fiber, including its hemicellulose component glucuronoarabinoxylan (GAX). However, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum or several other described hemicellulose-fermenting thermophilic bacteria can only partially utilize this GAX. We describe the isolation of a previously undescribed organism, Herbinix spp. strain LL1355, from a thermophilic microbiome that can consume 85% of the recalcitrant GAX. We sequence its genome, and based on structural analysis of the GAX, identify six enzymes that hydrolyze GAX linkages. Combinations of up to four enzymes are successfully expressed in T. thermosaccharolyticum. Supplementation with these enzymes allows T. thermosaccharolyticum to consume 78% of the GAX compared to 53% by the parent strain and increases ethanol yield from corn fiber by 24%. Corn fiber is a difficult feedstock to utilize due to its recalcitrant hemicellulose. Here, the authors characterize the recalcitrant structures, isolate a new bacterium to consume the hemicellulose, identify its enzymes, and show the benefit with increased conversion of corn fiber to ethanol.
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16
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Aikawa S, Thianheng P, Baramee S, Ungkulpasvich U, Tachaapaikoon C, Waeonukul R, Pason P, Ratanakhanokchai K, Kosugi A. Phenotypic characterization and comparative genome analysis of two strains of thermophilic, anaerobic, cellulolytic-xylanolytic bacterium Herbivorax saccincola. Enzyme Microb Technol 2020; 136:109517. [PMID: 32331721 DOI: 10.1016/j.enzmictec.2020.109517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/11/2019] [Revised: 01/09/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
The genome sequences of thermophilic, anaerobic, and cellulolytic-xylanolytic bacterium Herbivorax saccincola strains A7 and GGR1 have recently been determined. Although both strains belong to the same species, A7 is alkaliphilic, non-endospore-forming, and ammonium-assimilating, whereas GGR1 is neutrophilic, endospore-forming, and weak-ammonium-assimilating. To better understand the phenotypic diversity among H. saccincola strains, the genome sequences of A7 and GGR1 were compared. A7 contained three additional genes showing similarity to an alkaline stress-associated ABC-transporter but lacked four endospore formation-associated genes, AUG58543 and AUG58618 (encoding SpoVT), AUG57258 (encoding SpoVS), and AUG58614 (encoding YdhD), all of which were present in GGR1. In addition, A7 contained key ammonia assimilation genes PQQ67145 and PQQ66619, encoding ornithine cyclodeaminase and arginase, respectively, which were absent in GGR1. There was no difference in the number and types of cellulosomal-scaffolding proteins and glycosyl hydrolases between the two strains. However, cellulase and xylanase enzymes from A7 demonstrated greater activity and stability at an alkaline pH compared with those from GGR1, and amino acid substitutions were identified in 11 glycosyl hydrolases from A7. This characterization though comparative genomic analysis provides useful information for understanding the genetic basis of the phenotypic differences between H. saccincola strains isolated from distinct areas and environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shimpei Aikawa
- Biological Resources and Post-Harvest Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), 1-1 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686, Japan
| | - Phakhinee Thianheng
- Enzyme Technology Laboratory, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand
| | - Sirilak Baramee
- Biological Resources and Post-Harvest Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), 1-1 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686, Japan
| | - Umbhorn Ungkulpasvich
- Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan
| | - Chakrit Tachaapaikoon
- Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute (PDTI), King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand
| | - Rattiya Waeonukul
- Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute (PDTI), King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand
| | - Patthra Pason
- Pilot Plant Development and Training Institute (PDTI), King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand
| | - Khanok Ratanakhanokchai
- Enzyme Technology Laboratory, School of Bioresources and Technology, King Mongkut's University of Technology, Thonburi (KMUTT), Bangkok 10150, Thailand
| | - Akihiko Kosugi
- Biological Resources and Post-Harvest Division, Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCAS), 1-1 Ohwashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8686, Japan; Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Tennodai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8572, Japan.
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17
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Holwerda EK, Olson DG, Ruppertsberger NM, Stevenson DM, Murphy SJL, Maloney MI, Lanahan AA, Amador-Noguez D, Lynd LR. Metabolic and evolutionary responses of Clostridium thermocellum to genetic interventions aimed at improving ethanol production. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2020; 13:40. [PMID: 32175007 PMCID: PMC7063780 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01680-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2019] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Engineering efforts targeted at increasing ethanol by modifying the central fermentative metabolism of Clostridium thermocellum have been variably successful. Here, we aim to understand this variation by a multifaceted approach including genomic and transcriptomic analysis combined with chemostat cultivation and high solids cellulose fermentation. Three strain lineages comprising 16 strains total were examined. Two strain lineages in which genes involved in pathways leading to organic acids and/or sporulation had been knocked out resulted in four end-strains after adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE). A third strain lineage recapitulated mutations involving adhE that occurred spontaneously in some of the engineered strains. RESULTS Contrary to lactate dehydrogenase, deleting phosphotransacetylase (pta, acetate) negatively affected steady-state biomass concentration and caused increased extracellular levels of free amino acids and pyruvate, while no increase in ethanol was detected. Adaptive laboratory evolution (ALE) improved growth and shifted elevated levels of amino acids and pyruvate towards ethanol, but not for all strain lineages. Three out of four end-strains produced ethanol at higher yield, and one did not. The occurrence of a mutation in the adhE gene, expanding its nicotinamide-cofactor compatibility, enabled two end-strains to produce more ethanol. A disruption in the hfsB hydrogenase is likely the reason why a third end-strain was able to make more ethanol. RNAseq analysis showed that the distribution of fermentation products was generally not regulated at the transcript level. At 120 g/L cellulose loadings, deletions of spo0A, ldh and pta and adaptive evolution did not negatively influence cellulose solubilization and utilization capabilities. Strains with a disruption in hfsB or a mutation in adhE produced more ethanol, isobutanol and 2,3-butanediol under these conditions and the highest isobutanol and ethanol titers reached were 5.1 and 29.9 g/L, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Modifications in the organic acid fermentative pathways in Clostridium thermocellum caused an increase in extracellular pyruvate and free amino acids. Adaptive laboratory evolution led to improved growth, and an increase in ethanol yield and production due a mutation in adhE or a disruption in hfsB. Strains with deletions in ldh and pta pathways and subjected to ALE demonstrated undiminished cellulolytic capabilities when cultured on high cellulose loadings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evert K. Holwerda
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Daniel G. Olson
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | | | - David M. Stevenson
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Sean J. L. Murphy
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Marybeth I. Maloney
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Anthony A. Lanahan
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Daniel Amador-Noguez
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Lee R. Lynd
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- The Center for Bioenergy Innovation, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
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18
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Rational development of transformation in Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 via complete methylome analysis and evasion of native restriction-modification systems. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 46:1435-1443. [PMID: 31342224 PMCID: PMC6791906 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-019-02218-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2019] [Accepted: 07/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
A major barrier to both metabolic engineering and fundamental biological studies is the lack of genetic tools in most microorganisms. One example is Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405T, where genetic tools are not available to help validate decades of hypotheses. A significant barrier to DNA transformation is restriction–modification systems, which defend against foreign DNA methylated differently than the host. To determine the active restriction–modification systems in this strain, we performed complete methylome analysis via single-molecule, real-time sequencing to detect 6-methyladenine and 4-methylcytosine and the rarely used whole-genome bisulfite sequencing to detect 5-methylcytosine. Multiple active systems were identified, and corresponding DNA methyltransferases were expressed from the Escherichia coli chromosome to mimic the C. thermocellum methylome. Plasmid methylation was experimentally validated and successfully electroporated into C. thermocellum ATCC 27405. This combined approach enabled genetic modification of the C. thermocellum-type strain and acts as a blueprint for transformation of other non-model microorganisms.
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19
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Xin F, Dong W, Zhang W, Ma J, Jiang M. Biobutanol Production from Crystalline Cellulose through Consolidated Bioprocessing. Trends Biotechnol 2019; 37:167-180. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2018.08.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/24/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
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20
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Froese A, Schellenberg J, Sparling R. Enhanced depolymerization and utilization of raw lignocellulosic material by co-cultures of Ruminiclostridium thermocellum with hemicellulose-utilizing partners. Can J Microbiol 2019; 65:296-307. [PMID: 30608879 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2018-0535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Ruminiclostridium thermocellum is one of the most promising candidates for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of low-cost lignocellulosic materials to biofuels but it still shows poor performance in its ability to deconstruct untreated lignocellulosic substrates. One promising approach to increase R. thermocellum's rate of hydrolysis is to co-culture this cellulose-specialist with partners that possess synergistic hydrolysis enzymes and metabolic capabilities. We have created co-cultures of R. thermocellum with two hemicellulose utilizers, Ruminiclostridium stercorarium and Thermoanaerobacter thermohydrosulfuricus, both of which secrete xylanolytic enzymes and utilize the pentose oligo- and monosaccharides that inhibit R. thermocellum's hydrolysis and metabolism. When grown on milled wheat straw, the co-cultures were able to solubilize up to 58% more of the total polysaccharides than the R. thermocellum mono-culture control. Repeated passaging of the co-cultures on wheat straw yielded stable populations with reduced R. thermocellum cell numbers, indicating competition for cellodextrins released from cellulose hydrolysis, although these stabilized co-cultures were still able to outperform the mono-culture controls. Repeated passaging on Avicel cellulose also yielded stable populations. Overall, the observed synergism suggests that co-culturing R. thermocellum with other members is a viable option for increasing the rate and extent of untreated lignocellulose deconstruction by R. thermocellum for CBP purposes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alan Froese
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - John Schellenberg
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada.,Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Richard Sparling
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada
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21
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Papanek B, O’Dell KB, Manga P, Giannone RJ, Klingeman DM, Hettich RL, Brown SD, Guss AM. Transcriptomic and proteomic changes from medium supplementation and strain evolution in high-yielding Clostridium thermocellum strains. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2018; 45:1007-1015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10295-018-2073-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2018] [Accepted: 08/18/2018] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Clostridium thermocellum is a potentially useful organism for the production of lignocellulosic biofuels because of its ability to directly deconstruct cellulose and convert it into ethanol. Previously engineered C. thermocellum strains have achieved higher yields and titers of ethanol. These strains often initially grow more poorly than the wild type. Adaptive laboratory evolution and medium supplementation have been used to improve growth, but the mechanism(s) by which growth improves remain(s) unclear. Here, we studied (1) wild-type C. thermocellum, (2) the slow-growing and high-ethanol-yielding mutant AG553, and (3) the faster-growing evolved mutant AG601, each grown with and without added formate. We used a combination of transcriptomics and proteomics to understand the physiological impact of the metabolic engineering, evolution, and medium supplementation. Medium supplementation with formate improved growth in both AG553 and AG601. Expression of C1 metabolism genes varied with formate addition, supporting the hypothesis that the primary benefit of added formate is the supply of C1 units for biosynthesis. Expression of stress response genes such as those involved in the sporulation cascade was dramatically over-represented in AG553, even after the addition of formate, suggesting that the source of the stress may be other issues such as redox imbalances. The sporulation response is absent in evolved strain AG601, suggesting that sporulation limits the growth of engineered strain AG553. A better understanding of the stress response and mechanisms of improved growth hold promise for informing rational improvement of C. thermocellum for lignocellulosic biofuel production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Beth Papanek
- 0000 0004 0446 2659 grid.135519.a Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
- 0000 0001 2315 1184 grid.411461.7 Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville TN USA
- 0000 0004 1936 9991 grid.35403.31 Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign Urbana IL USA
| | - Kaela B O’Dell
- 0000 0004 0446 2659 grid.135519.a Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
| | - Punita Manga
- 0000 0004 0446 2659 grid.135519.a Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
- 0000 0001 2315 1184 grid.411461.7 The Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville TN USA
| | - Richard J Giannone
- 0000 0004 0446 2659 grid.135519.a Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
| | - Dawn M Klingeman
- 0000 0004 0446 2659 grid.135519.a Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
| | - Robert L Hettich
- 0000 0004 0446 2659 grid.135519.a Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
| | - Steven D Brown
- 0000 0004 0446 2659 grid.135519.a Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
- 0000 0001 2315 1184 grid.411461.7 The Graduate School of Genome Science and Technology University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville TN USA
- LanzaTech Inc 8045 Lamon Ave, Suite 400 60077 Skokie IL USA
| | - Adam M Guss
- 0000 0004 0446 2659 grid.135519.a Biosciences Division Oak Ridge National Laboratory Oak Ridge TN USA
- 0000 0001 2315 1184 grid.411461.7 Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education University of Tennessee-Knoxville Knoxville TN USA
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Xiong W, Lo J, Chou KJ, Wu C, Magnusson L, Dong T, Maness P. Isotope-Assisted Metabolite Analysis Sheds Light on Central Carbon Metabolism of a Model Cellulolytic Bacterium Clostridium thermocellum. Front Microbiol 2018; 9:1947. [PMID: 30190711 PMCID: PMC6115520 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.01947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2018] [Accepted: 07/31/2018] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cellulolytic bacteria have the potential to perform lignocellulose hydrolysis and fermentation simultaneously. The metabolic pathways of these bacteria, therefore, require more comprehensive and quantitative understanding. Using isotope tracer, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, and metabolic flux modeling, we decipher the metabolic network of Clostridium thermocellum, a model cellulolytic bacterium which represents as an attractive platform for conversion of lignocellulose to dedicated products. We uncover that the Embden-Meyerhof-Parnas (EMP) pathway is the predominant glycolytic route whereas the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway and oxidative pentose phosphate pathway are inactive. We also observe that C. thermocellum's TCA cycle is initiated by both Si- and Re-citrate synthase, and it is disconnected between 2-oxoglutarate and oxaloacetate in the oxidative direction; C. thermocellum uses a citramalate shunt to synthesize isoleucine; and both the one-carbon pathway and the malate shunt are highly active in this bacterium. To gain a quantitative understanding, we further formulate a fluxome map to quantify the metabolic fluxes through central metabolic pathways. This work represents the first global in vivo investigation of the principal carbon metabolism of C. thermocellum. Our results elucidate the unique structure of metabolic network in this cellulolytic bacterium and demonstrate the capability of isotope-assisted metabolite studies in understanding microbial metabolism of industrial interests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei Xiong
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, United States
| | - Jonathan Lo
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, United States
| | | | - Chao Wu
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, United States
| | | | - Tao Dong
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, United States
| | - PinChing Maness
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, United States
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Singh N, Puri M, Tuli DK, Gupta RP, Barrow CJ, Mathur AS. Bioethanol production by a xylan fermenting thermophilic isolate Clostridium strain DBT-IOC-DC21. Anaerobe 2018; 51:89-98. [PMID: 29729318 DOI: 10.1016/j.anaerobe.2018.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2017] [Revised: 04/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/24/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
To overcome the challenges associated with combined bioprocessing of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuel, finding good organisms is essential. An ethanol producing bacteria DBT-IOC-DC21 was isolated from a compost site via preliminary enrichment culture on a pure hemicellulosic substrate and identified as a Clostridium strain by 16S rRNA analysis. This strain presented broad substrate spectrum with ethanol, acetate, lactate, and hydrogen as the primary metabolic end products. The optimum conditions for ethanol production were found to be an initial pH of 7.0, a temperature of 70 °C and an L-G ratio of 0.67. Strain presented preferential hemicellulose fermentation when compared to various substrates and maximum ethanol concentration of 26.61 mM and 43.63 mM was produced from xylan and xylose, respectively. During the fermentation of varying concentration of xylan, a substantial amount of ethanol ranging from 25.27 mM to 67.29 mM was produced. An increased ethanol concentration of 40.22 mM was produced from a mixture of cellulose and xylan, with a significant effect observed on metabolic flux distribution. The optimum conditions were used to produce ethanol from 28 g L-1 rice straw biomass (RSB) (equivalent to 5.7 g L-1 of the xylose equivalents) in which 19.48 mM ethanol production was achieved. Thus, Clostridium strain DBT-IOC-DC21 has the potential to perform direct microbial conversion of untreated RSB to ethanol at a yield comparative to xylan fermentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Singh
- Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Waurn Ponds, Deakin University, Victoria 3217, Australia; DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007, India.
| | - Munish Puri
- Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Waurn Ponds, Deakin University, Victoria 3217, Australia; Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park 5042, Adelaide, Australia.
| | - Deepak K Tuli
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007, India.
| | - Ravi P Gupta
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007, India.
| | - Colin J Barrow
- Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Waurn Ponds, Deakin University, Victoria 3217, Australia.
| | - Anshu S Mathur
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007, India.
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Carvalho EA, Nunes LV, Goes LMDS, Silva EGPD, Franco M, Gross E, Uetanabaro APT, Costa AMD. Peach-palm (Bactris gasipaes Kunth.) waste as substrate for xylanase production by Trichoderma stromaticum AM7. CHEM ENG COMMUN 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/00986445.2018.1425208] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elck Almeida Carvalho
- Food Technology Centre, Federal Institute of Education Science and Technology Baiano, Uruçuca, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Laís Vieira Nunes
- Department of Health Sciences, Technology and Sciences College, Itabuna, Bahia, Brazil
| | | | | | - Marcelo Franco
- Department of Exact and Technological Sciences, Santa Cruz State University, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Eduardo Gross
- Department of Agricultural Science, Santa Cruz State University, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
| | | | - Andréa Miura da Costa
- Department of Biological Sciences, Santa Cruz State University, Ilhéus, Bahia, Brazil
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Singh N, Mathur AS, Gupta RP, Barrow CJ, Tuli D, Puri M. Enhanced cellulosic ethanol production via consolidated bioprocessing by Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 31924☆. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2018; 250:860-867. [PMID: 30001594 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.11.048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2017] [Revised: 11/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 05/23/2023]
Abstract
The production of bioethanol was studied by the cultivation of Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 31924 in MTC medium including crystalline cellulose as the sole substrate. The effects of key operational parameters that affect bioethanol production from microcrystalline cellulose were optimized. Under optimum conditions (pH 8.0, temperature 55 °C, inoculum size 4% (v/v) and 0.5% (w/v) substrate concentration), a maximum ethanol yield of 0.30 g ethanol/g cellulose consumed and 95.32% cellulose conversion was obtained. An inclusion of modest acetate concentration in the medium showed that carbon flux shifted away from lactate accompanied by 20% increase in ethanol production. It suggests that strain ATCC 31924 differed in its cellulose conversion efficacy and optimum pH requirements compared to the other reported strains of Clostridium thermocellum. The purified cellulosome of strain ATCC 31924 found to be rich in both cellulase and xylanase enzymes emphasizing the importance of this strain for the degradation of lignocellulosic biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Singh
- Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia; DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007, India
| | - Anshu S Mathur
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007, India
| | - Ravi P Gupta
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007, India
| | - Colin J Barrow
- Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia
| | - Deepak Tuli
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad 121007, India
| | - Munish Puri
- Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Geelong, Victoria 3216, Australia.
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Whitham JM, Moon JW, Rodriguez M, Engle NL, Klingeman DM, Rydzak T, Abel MM, Tschaplinski TJ, Guss AM, Brown SD. Clostridium thermocellum LL1210 pH homeostasis mechanisms informed by transcriptomics and metabolomics. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2018; 11:98. [PMID: 29632556 PMCID: PMC5887222 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-018-1095-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 05/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clostridium (Ruminiclostridium) thermocellum is a model fermentative anaerobic thermophile being studied and engineered for consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulosic feedstocks into fuels and chemicals. Engineering efforts have resulted in significant improvements in ethanol yields and titers although further advances are required to make the bacterium industry-ready. For instance, fermentations at lower pH could enable co-culturing with microbes that have lower pH optima, augment productivity, and reduce buffering cost. C. thermocellum is typically grown at neutral pH, and little is known about its pH limits or pH homeostasis mechanisms. To better understand C. thermocellum pH homeostasis we grew strain LL1210 (C. thermocellum DSM1313 Δhpt ΔhydG Δldh Δpfl Δpta-ack), currently the highest ethanol producing strain of C. thermocellum, at different pH values in chemostat culture and applied systems biology tools. RESULTS Clostridium thermocellum LL1210 was found to be growth-limited below pH 6.24 at a dilution rate of 0.1 h-1. F1F0-ATPase gene expression was upregulated while many ATP-utilizing enzymes and pathways were downregulated at pH 6.24. These included most flagella biosynthesis genes, genes for chemotaxis, and other motility-related genes (> 50) as well as sulfate transport and reduction, nitrate transport and nitrogen fixation, and fatty acid biosynthesis genes. Clustering and enrichment of differentially expressed genes at pH values 6.48, pH 6.24 and pH 6.12 (washout conditions) compared to pH 6.98 showed inverse differential expression patterns between the F1F0-ATPase and genes for other ATP-utilizing enzymes. At and below pH 6.24, amino acids including glutamate and valine; long-chain fatty acids, their iso-counterparts and glycerol conjugates; glycolysis intermediates 3-phosphoglycerate, glucose 6-phosphate, and glucose accumulated intracellularly. Glutamate was 267 times more abundant in cells at pH 6.24 compared to pH 6.98, and intercellular concentration reached 1.8 μmol/g pellet at pH 5.80 (stopped flow). CONCLUSIONS Clostridium thermocellum LL1210 can grow under slightly acidic conditions, similar to limits reported for other strains. This foundational study provides a detailed characterization of a relatively acid-intolerant bacterium and provides genetic targets for strain improvement. Future studies should examine adding gene functions used by more acid-tolerant bacteria for improved pH homeostasis at acidic pH values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jason M. Whitham
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Ji-Won Moon
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Miguel Rodriguez
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Nancy L. Engle
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Dawn M. Klingeman
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Thomas Rydzak
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Present Address: Department of Biological Science, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Malaney M. Abel
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Timothy J. Tschaplinski
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Adam M. Guss
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Steven D. Brown
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Present Address: LanzaTech, Inc., Skokie, IL USA
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Jiang Y, Xin F, Lu J, Dong W, Zhang W, Zhang M, Wu H, Ma J, Jiang M. State of the art review of biofuels production from lignocellulose by thermophilic bacteria. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2017. [PMID: 28634129 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2017.05.142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Biofuels, including ethanol and butanol, are mainly produced by mesophilic solventogenic yeasts and Clostridium species. However, these microorganisms cannot directly utilize lignocellulosic materials, which are abundant, renewable and non-compete with human demand. More recently, thermophilic bacteria show great potential for biofuels production, which could efficiently degrade lignocellulose through the cost effective consolidated bioprocessing. Especially, it could avoid contamination in the whole process owing to its relatively high fermentation temperature. However, wild types thermophiles generally produce low levels of biofuels, hindering their large scale production. This review comprehensively summarizes the state of the art development of biofuels production by reported thermophilic microorganisms, and also concludes strategies to improve biofuels production including the metabolic pathways construction, co-culturing systems and biofuels tolerance. In addition, strategies to further improve butanol production are proposed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yujia Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China
| | - Fengxue Xin
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China
| | - Jiasheng Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China
| | - Weiliang Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China
| | - Wenming Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China; Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China
| | - Min Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China
| | - Hao Wu
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China; Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China
| | - Jiangfeng Ma
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China
| | - Min Jiang
- State Key Laboratory of Materials-Oriented Chemical Engineering, College of Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Engineering, Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China; Jiangsu National Synergetic Innovation Center for Advanced Materials (SICAM), Nanjing Tech University, Nanjing 211800, PR China.
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Verbeke TJ, Garcia GM, Elkins JG. The effect of switchgrass loadings on feedstock solubilization and biofuel production by Clostridium thermocellum. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:233. [PMID: 29213307 PMCID: PMC5708108 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0917-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2017] [Accepted: 08/08/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Efficient deconstruction and bioconversion of solids at high mass loadings is necessary to produce industrially relevant titers of biofuels from lignocellulosic biomass. To date, only a few studies have investigated the effect of solids loadings on microorganisms of interest for consolidated bioprocessing. Here, the effects that various switchgrass loadings have on Clostridium thermocellum solubilization and bioconversion are investigated. RESULTS Clostridium thermocellum was grown for 10 days on 10, 25, or 50 g/L switchgrass or Avicel at equivalent glucan loadings. Avicel was completely consumed at all loadings, but total cellulose solubilization decreased from 63 to 37% as switchgrass loadings increased from 10 to 50 g/L. Washed, spent switchgrass could be additionally hydrolyzed and fermented in second-round fermentations suggesting that access to fermentable substrates was not the limiting factor at higher feedstock loadings. Results from fermentations on Avicel or cellobiose using culture medium supplemented with 50% spent fermentation broth demonstrated that compounds present in the supernatants from the 25 or 50 g/L switchgrass loadings were the most inhibitory to continued fermentation. CONCLUSIONS Recalcitrance alone cannot fully account for differences in solubilization and end-product formation between switchgrass and Avicel at increased substrate loadings. Experiments aimed at separating metabolic inhibition from inhibition of hydrolysis suggest that C. thermocellum's hydrolytic machinery is more vulnerable to inhibition from switchgrass-derived compounds than its fermentative metabolism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobin J. Verbeke
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6038 USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6038 USA
- Present Address: Department of Biological Sciences, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB T2N 1N4 Canada
| | - Gabriela M. Garcia
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6038 USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6038 USA
| | - James G. Elkins
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6038 USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6038 USA
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Zheng T, Cui J, Bae HR, Lynd LR, Olson DG. Expression of adhA from different organisms in Clostridium thermocellum. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:251. [PMID: 29213311 PMCID: PMC5707802 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0940-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2017] [Accepted: 10/19/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clostridium thermocellum is a cellulolytic anaerobic thermophile that is a promising candidate for consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels such as ethanol. It was previously shown that expressing Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum adhA in C. thermocellum increases ethanol yield.In this study, we investigated expression of adhA genes from different organisms in Clostridium thermocellum. METHODS Based on sequence identity to T. saccharolyticum adhA, we chose adhA genes from 10 other organisms: Clostridium botulinum, Methanocaldococcus bathoardescens, Thermoanaerobacterium ethanolicus, Thermoanaerobacter mathranii, Thermococcus strain AN1, Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum, Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus, Fervidobacterium nodosum, Marinitoga piezophila, and Thermotoga petrophila. All 11 adhA genes (including T. saccharolyticum adhA) were expressed in C. thermocellum and fermentation end products were analyzed. RESULTS All 11 adhA genes increased C. thermocellum ethanol yield compared to the empty-vector control. C. botulinum and T. ethanolicus adhA genes generated significantly higher ethanol yield than T. saccharolyticum adhA. CONCLUSION Our results indicated that expressing adhA is an effective method of increasing ethanol yield in wild-type C. thermocellum, and that this appears to be a general property of adhA genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tianyong Zheng
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Jingxuan Cui
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Hye Ri Bae
- Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Lee R. Lynd
- Department of Biological Sciences, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
| | - Daniel G. Olson
- Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
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Enhanced ethanol formation by Clostridium thermocellum via pyruvate decarboxylase. Microb Cell Fact 2017; 16:171. [PMID: 28978312 PMCID: PMC5628457 DOI: 10.1186/s12934-017-0783-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/19/2017] [Accepted: 09/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) is a well-known pathway for ethanol production, but has not been demonstrated for high titer ethanol production at temperatures above 50 °C. Result Here we examined the thermostability of eight PDCs. The purified bacterial enzymes retained 20% of activity after incubation for 30 min at 55 °C. Expression of these PDC genes, except the one from Zymomonas mobilis, improved ethanol production by Clostridium thermocellum. Ethanol production was further improved by expression of the heterologous alcohol dehydrogenase gene adhA from Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum. Conclusion The best PDC enzyme was from Acetobactor pasteurianus. A strain of C. thermocellum expressing the pdc gene from A. pasteurianus and the adhA gene from T. saccharolyticum was able to produce 21.3 g/L ethanol from 60 g/L cellulose, which is 70% of the theoretical maximum yield. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-017-0783-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Dash S, Khodayari A, Zhou J, Holwerda EK, Olson DG, Lynd LR, Maranas CD. Development of a core Clostridium thermocellum kinetic metabolic model consistent with multiple genetic perturbations. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:108. [PMID: 28469704 PMCID: PMC5414155 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0792-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Clostridium thermocellum is a Gram-positive anaerobe with the ability to hydrolyze and metabolize cellulose into biofuels such as ethanol, making it an attractive candidate for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). At present, metabolic engineering in C. thermocellum is hindered due to the incomplete description of its metabolic repertoire and regulation within a predictive metabolic model. Genome-scale metabolic (GSM) models augmented with kinetic models of metabolism have been shown to be effective at recapitulating perturbed metabolic phenotypes. RESULTS In this effort, we first update a second-generation genome-scale metabolic model (iCth446) for C. thermocellum by correcting cofactor dependencies, restoring elemental and charge balances, and updating GAM and NGAM values to improve phenotype predictions. The iCth446 model is next used as a scaffold to develop a core kinetic model (k-ctherm118) of the C. thermocellum central metabolism using the Ensemble Modeling (EM) paradigm. Model parameterization is carried out by simultaneously imposing fermentation yield data in lactate, malate, acetate, and hydrogen production pathways for 19 measured metabolites spanning a library of 19 distinct single and multiple gene knockout mutants along with 18 intracellular metabolite concentration data for a Δgldh mutant and ten experimentally measured Michaelis-Menten kinetic parameters. CONCLUSIONS The k-ctherm118 model captures significant metabolic changes caused by (1) nitrogen limitation leading to increased yields for lactate, pyruvate, and amino acids, and (2) ethanol stress causing an increase in intracellular sugar phosphate concentrations (~1.5-fold) due to upregulation of cofactor pools. Robustness analysis of k-ctherm118 alludes to the presence of a secondary activity of ketol-acid reductoisomerase and possible regulation by valine and/or leucine pool levels. In addition, cross-validation and robustness analysis allude to missing elements in k-ctherm118 and suggest additional experiments to improve kinetic model prediction fidelity. Overall, the study quantitatively assesses the advantages of EM-based kinetic modeling towards improved prediction of C. thermocellum metabolism and develops a predictive kinetic model which can be used to design biofuel-overproducing strains.
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Affiliation(s)
- Satyakam Dash
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 126 Land and Water Research Building, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Ali Khodayari
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 126 Land and Water Research Building, University Park, PA 16802 USA
| | - Jilai Zhou
- Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH USA
| | | | - Daniel G. Olson
- Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH USA
| | - Lee R. Lynd
- Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH USA
| | - Costas D. Maranas
- Department of Chemical Engineering, The Pennsylvania State University, 126 Land and Water Research Building, University Park, PA 16802 USA
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Lü F, Chai L, Shao L, He P. Precise pretreatment of lignocellulose: relating substrate modification with subsequent hydrolysis and fermentation to products and by-products. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:88. [PMID: 28400859 PMCID: PMC5387280 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0775-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/07/2016] [Accepted: 04/05/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Pretreatment is a crucial step for valorization of lignocellulosic biomass into valuable products such as H2, ethanol, acids, and methane. As pretreatment can change several decisive factors concurrently, it is difficult to predict its effectiveness. Furthermore, the effectiveness of pretreatments is usually assessed by enzymatic digestibility or merely according to the yield of the target fermentation products. The present study proposed the concept of "precise pretreatment," distinguished the major decisive factors of lignocellulosic materials by precise pretreatment, and evaluated the complete profile of all fermentation products and by-products. In brief, hemicellulose and lignin were selectively removed from dewaxed rice straw, and the cellulose was further modified to alter the crystalline allomorphs. The subsequent fermentation performance of the selectively pretreated lignocellulose was assessed using the cellulolytic, ethanologenic, and hydrogenetic Clostridium thermocellum through a holistic characterization of the liquid, solid, and gaseous products and residues. RESULTS The transformation of crystalline cellulose forms from I to II and from Iα to Iβ improved the production of H2 and ethanol by 65 and 29%, respectively. At the same time, the hydrolysis efficiency was merely improved by 10%, revealing that the crystalline forms not only influenced the accessibility of cellulose but also affected the metabolic preferences and flux of the system. The fermentation efficiency was independent of the specific surface area and degree of polymerization. Furthermore, the pretreatments resulted in 43-45% of the carbon in the liquid hydrolysates unexplainable by forming ethanol and acetate products. A tandem pretreatment with peracetic acid and alkali improved ethanol production by 45.5%, but also increased the production of non-ethanolic low-value by-products by 136%, resulting in a huge burden on wastewater treatment requirements. CONCLUSION Cellulose allomorphs significantly affected fermentation metabolic pathway, except for hydrolysis efficiency. Furthermore, with the increasing effectiveness of the pretreatment for ethanol production, more non-ethanolic low-value by-products or contaminants were produced, intensifying environmental burden. Therefore, the effectiveness of the pretreatment should not only be determined on the basis of energy auditing and inhibitors generated, but should also be assessed in terms of the environmental benefits of the whole integrated system from a holistic view.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fan Lü
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
| | - Lina Chai
- State Key Laboratory of Pollution Control and Resource Reuse, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
| | - Liming Shao
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
| | - Pinjing He
- Institute of Waste Treatment and Reclamation, Tongji University, Shanghai, 200092 China
- Centre for the Technology Research and Training on Household Waste in Small Towns & Rural Area, Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development (MOHURD) of China, Shanghai, 200092 China
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Rydzak T, Garcia D, Stevenson DM, Sladek M, Klingeman DM, Holwerda EK, Amador-Noguez D, Brown SD, Guss AM. Deletion of Type I glutamine synthetase deregulates nitrogen metabolism and increases ethanol production in Clostridium thermocellum. Metab Eng 2017; 41:182-191. [PMID: 28400329 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2017.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2016] [Revised: 03/27/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
Clostridium thermocellum rapidly deconstructs cellulose and ferments resulting hydrolysis products into ethanol and other products, and is thus a promising platform organism for the development of cellulosic biofuel production via consolidated bioprocessing. While recent metabolic engineering strategies have targeted eliminating canonical fermentation products (acetate, lactate, formate, and H2), C. thermocellum also secretes amino acids, which has limited ethanol yields in engineered strains to approximately 70% of the theoretical maximum. To investigate approaches to decrease amino acid secretion, we attempted to reduce ammonium assimilation by deleting the Type I glutamine synthetase (glnA) in an essentially wild type strain of C. thermocellum. Deletion of glnA reduced levels of secreted valine and total amino acids by 53% and 44% respectively, and increased ethanol yields by 53%. RNA-seq analysis revealed that genes encoding the RNF-complex were more highly expressed in ΔglnA and may have a role in improving NADH-availability for ethanol production. While a significant up-regulation of genes involved in nitrogen assimilation and urea uptake suggested that deletion of glnA induces a nitrogen starvation response, metabolomic analysis showed an increase in intracellular glutamine levels indicative of nitrogen-rich conditions. We propose that deletion of glnA causes deregulation of nitrogen metabolism, leading to overexpression of nitrogen metabolism genes and, in turn, elevated glutamine levels. Here we demonstrate that perturbation of nitrogen assimilation is a promising strategy to redirect flux from the production of nitrogenous compounds toward biofuels in C. thermocellum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Rydzak
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States; BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - David Garcia
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States; BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - David M Stevenson
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Margaret Sladek
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States; BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Dawn M Klingeman
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States; BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Evert K Holwerda
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States; Thayer School of Engineering at Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, United States
| | - Daniel Amador-Noguez
- Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Steven D Brown
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States; BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States
| | - Adam M Guss
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States; BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, United States.
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34
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Dumitrache A, Klingeman DM, Natzke J, Rodriguez M, Giannone RJ, Hettich RL, Davison BH, Brown SD. Specialized activities and expression differences for Clostridium thermocellum biofilm and planktonic cells. Sci Rep 2017; 7:43583. [PMID: 28240279 PMCID: PMC5327387 DOI: 10.1038/srep43583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2016] [Accepted: 01/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium (Ruminiclostridium) thermocellum is a model organism for its ability to deconstruct plant biomass and convert the cellulose into ethanol. The bacterium forms biofilms adherent to lignocellulosic feedstocks in a continuous cell-monolayer in order to efficiently break down and uptake cellulose hydrolysates. We developed a novel bioreactor design to generate separate sessile and planktonic cell populations for omics studies. Sessile cells had significantly greater expression of genes involved in catabolism of carbohydrates by glycolysis and pyruvate fermentation, ATP generation by proton gradient, the anabolism of proteins and lipids and cellular functions critical for cell division consistent with substrate replete conditions. Planktonic cells had notably higher gene expression for flagellar motility and chemotaxis, cellulosomal cellulases and anchoring scaffoldins, and a range of stress induced homeostasis mechanisms such as oxidative stress protection by antioxidants and flavoprotein co-factors, methionine repair, Fe-S cluster assembly and repair in redox proteins, cell growth control through tRNA thiolation, recovery of damaged DNA by nucleotide excision repair and removal of terminal proteins by proteases. This study demonstrates that microbial attachment to cellulose substrate produces widespread gene expression changes for critical functions of this organism and provides physiological insights for two cells populations relevant for engineering of industrially-ready phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandru Dumitrache
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A.,Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A
| | - Dawn M Klingeman
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A.,Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A
| | - Jace Natzke
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A.,Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A
| | - Miguel Rodriguez
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A.,Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A
| | - Richard J Giannone
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A.,Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A
| | - Robert L Hettich
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A.,Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A
| | - Brian H Davison
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A.,Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A
| | - Steven D Brown
- BioEnergy Science Center (BESC), Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A.,Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, U.S.A
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35
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Taillefer M, Sparling R. Glycolysis as the Central Core of Fermentation. ADVANCES IN BIOCHEMICAL ENGINEERING/BIOTECHNOLOGY 2017; 156:55-77. [PMID: 26907549 DOI: 10.1007/10_2015_5003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The increasing concerns of greenhouse gas emissions have increased the interest in dark fermentation as a means of productions for industrial chemicals, especially from renewable cellulosic biomass. However, the metabolism, including glycolysis, of many candidate organisms for cellulosic biomass conversion through consolidated bioprocessing is still poorly understood and the genomes have only recently been sequenced. Because a variety of industrial chemicals are produced directly from sugar metabolism, the careful understanding of glycolysis from a genomic and biochemical point of view is essential in the development of strategies for increasing product yields and therefore increasing industrial potential. The current review discusses the different pathways available for glycolysis along with unexpected variations from traditional models, especially in the utilization of alternate energy intermediates (GTP, pyrophosphate). This reinforces the need for a careful description of interactions between energy metabolites and glycolysis enzymes for understanding carbon and electron flux regulation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Taillefer
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2
| | - R Sparling
- Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada, R3T 2N2.
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36
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Biswas R, Wilson CM, Giannone RJ, Klingeman DM, Rydzak T, Shah MB, Hettich RL, Brown SD, Guss AM. Improved growth rate in Clostridium thermocellum hydrogenase mutant via perturbed sulfur metabolism. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:6. [PMID: 28053665 PMCID: PMC5209896 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-016-0684-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Metabolic engineering is a commonly used approach to develop organisms for an industrial function, but engineering aimed at improving one phenotype can negatively impact other phenotypes. This lack of robustness can prove problematic. Cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum is able to rapidly ferment cellulose to ethanol and other products. Recently, genes involved in H2 production, including the hydrogenase maturase hydG and NiFe hydrogenase ech, were deleted from the chromosome of C. thermocellum. While ethanol yield increased, the growth rate of ΔhydG decreased substantially compared to wild type. RESULTS Addition of 5 mM acetate to the growth medium improved the growth rate in C. thermocellum ∆hydG, whereas wild type remained unaffected. Transcriptomic analysis of the wild type showed essentially no response to the addition of acetate. However, in C. thermocellum ΔhydG, 204 and 56 genes were significantly differentially regulated relative to wild type in the absence and presence of acetate, respectively. Genes, Clo1313_0108-0125, which are predicted to encode a sulfate transport system and sulfate assimilatory pathway, were drastically upregulated in C. thermocellum ΔhydG in the presence of added acetate. A similar pattern was seen with proteomics. Further physiological characterization demonstrated an increase in sulfide synthesis and elimination of cysteine consumption in C. thermocellum ΔhydG. Clostridium thermocellum ΔhydGΔech had a higher growth rate than ΔhydG in the absence of added acetate, and a similar but less pronounced transcriptional and physiological effect was seen in this strain upon addition of acetate. CONCLUSIONS Sulfur metabolism is perturbed in C. thermocellum ΔhydG strains, likely to increase flux through sulfate reduction to act either as an electron sink to balance redox reactions or to offset an unknown deficiency in sulfur assimilation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ranjita Biswas
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- Centre for Rural Development and Technology, Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, Hauz Khas, New Delhi, 110016 India
| | - Charlotte M. Wilson
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Richard J. Giannone
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Dawn M. Klingeman
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Thomas Rydzak
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Manesh B. Shah
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Robert L. Hettich
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Steven D. Brown
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Adam M. Guss
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
- One Bethel Valley Road, Oak Ridge, TN 37831-6038 USA
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37
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Singh N, Mathur AS, Tuli DK, Gupta RP, Barrow CJ, Puri M. Cellulosic ethanol production via consolidated bioprocessing by a novel thermophilic anaerobic bacterium isolated from a Himalayan hot spring. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:73. [PMID: 28344648 PMCID: PMC5361838 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0756-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 05/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cellulose-degrading thermophilic anaerobic bacterium as a suitable host for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) has been proposed as an economically suited platform for the production of second-generation biofuels. To recognize the overall objective of CBP, fermentation using co-culture of different cellulolytic and sugar-fermenting thermophilic anaerobic bacteria has been widely studied as an approach to achieving improved ethanol production. We assessed monoculture and co-culture fermentation of novel thermophilic anaerobic bacterium for ethanol production from real substrates under controlled conditions. RESULTS In this study, Clostridium sp. DBT-IOC-C19, a cellulose-degrading thermophilic anaerobic bacterium, was isolated from the cellulolytic enrichment cultures obtained from a Himalayan hot spring. Strain DBT-IOC-C19 exhibited a broad substrate spectrum and presented single-step conversion of various cellulosic and hemicellulosic substrates to ethanol, acetate, and lactate with ethanol being the major fermentation product. Additionally, the effect of varying cellulose concentrations on the fermentation performance of the strain was studied, indicating a maximum cellulose utilization ability of 10 g L-1 cellulose. Avicel degradation kinetics of the strain DBT-IOC-C19 displayed 94.6% degradation at 5 g L-1 and 82.74% degradation at 10 g L-1 avicel concentration within 96 h of fermentation. In a comparative study with Clostridium thermocellum DSM 1313, the ethanol and total product concentrations were higher by the newly isolated strain on pretreated rice straw at an equivalent substrate loading. Three different co-culture combinations were used on various substrates that presented two-fold yield improvement than the monoculture during batch fermentation. CONCLUSIONS This study demonstrated the direct fermentation ability of the novel thermophilic anaerobic bacteria on various cellulosic and hemicellulosic substrates into ethanol without the aid of any exogenous enzymes, representing CBP-based fermentation approach. Here, the broad substrate utilization spectrum of isolated cellulolytic thermophilic anaerobic bacterium was shown to be of potential utility. We demonstrated that the co-culture strategy involving novel strains is efficient in improving ethanol production from real substrate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisha Singh
- Bioprocessing Laboratory, Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3217 Australia
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad, 121007 India
| | - Anshu S. Mathur
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad, 121007 India
| | - Deepak K. Tuli
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad, 121007 India
| | - Ravi. P. Gupta
- DBT-IOC Centre for Advance Bioenergy Research, Research & Development Centre, Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Sector-13, Faridabad, 121007 India
| | - Colin J. Barrow
- Bioprocessing Laboratory, Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3217 Australia
| | - Munish Puri
- Bioprocessing Laboratory, Centre for Chemistry and Biotechnology, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC 3217 Australia
- Centre for Marine Bioproducts Development, Medical Biotechnology, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
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Wen Z, Minton NP, Zhang Y, Li Q, Liu J, Jiang Y, Yang S. Enhanced solvent production by metabolic engineering of a twin-clostridial consortium. Metab Eng 2017; 39:38-48. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2016.10.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Revised: 08/30/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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39
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Advances in Consolidated Bioprocessing Using Clostridium thermocellumand Thermoanaerobacter saccharolyticum. Ind Biotechnol (New Rochelle N Y) 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527807796.ch10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
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40
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CO2-fixing one-carbon metabolism in a cellulose-degrading bacterium Clostridium thermocellum. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:13180-13185. [PMID: 27794122 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1605482113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Clostridium thermocellum can ferment cellulosic biomass to formate and other end products, including CO2 This organism lacks formate dehydrogenase (Fdh), which catalyzes the reduction of CO2 to formate. However, feeding the bacterium 13C-bicarbonate and cellobiose followed by NMR analysis showed the production of 13C-formate in C. thermocellum culture, indicating the presence of an uncharacterized pathway capable of converting CO2 to formate. Combining genomic and experimental data, we demonstrated that the conversion of CO2 to formate serves as a CO2 entry point into the reductive one-carbon (C1) metabolism, and internalizes CO2 via two biochemical reactions: the reversed pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase (rPFOR), which incorporates CO2 using acetyl-CoA as a substrate and generates pyruvate, and pyruvate-formate lyase (PFL) converting pyruvate to formate and acetyl-CoA. We analyzed the labeling patterns of proteinogenic amino acids in individual deletions of all five putative PFOR mutants and in a PFL deletion mutant. We identified two enzymes acting as rPFOR, confirmed the dual activities of rPFOR and PFL crucial for CO2 uptake, and provided physical evidence of a distinct in vivo "rPFOR-PFL shunt" to reduce CO2 to formate while circumventing the lack of Fdh. Such a pathway precedes CO2 fixation via the reductive C1 metabolic pathway in C. thermocellum These findings demonstrated the metabolic versatility of C. thermocellum, which is thought of as primarily a cellulosic heterotroph but is shown here to be endowed with the ability to fix CO2 as well.
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Sheng T, Zhao L, Gao LF, Liu WZ, Cui MH, Guo ZC, Ma XD, Ho SH, Wang AJ. Lignocellulosic saccharification by a newly isolated bacterium, Ruminiclostridium thermocellum M3 and cellular cellulase activities for high ratio of glucose to cellobiose. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2016; 9:172. [PMID: 27525041 PMCID: PMC4982309 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-016-0585-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/27/2016] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Lignocellulosic biomass is one of earth's most abundant resources, and it has great potential for biofuel production because it is renewable and has carbon-neutral characteristics. Lignocellulose is mainly composed of carbohydrate polymers (cellulose and hemicellulose), which contain approximately 75 % fermentable sugars for biofuel fermentation. However, saccharification by cellulases is always the main bottleneck for commercialization. Compared with the enzyme systems of fungi, bacteria have evolved distinct systems to directly degrade lignocellulose. However, most reported bacterial saccharification is not efficient enough without help from additional β-glucosidases. Thus, to enhance the economic feasibility of using lignocellulosic biomass for biofuel production, it will be extremely important to develop a novel bacterial saccharification system that does not require the addition of β-glucosidases. RESULTS In this study, a new thermophilic bacterium named Ruminiclostridium thermocellum M3, which could directly saccharify lignocellulosic biomass, was isolated from horse manure. The results showed that R. thermocellum M3 can grow at 60 °C on a variety of carbon polymers, including microcrystalline cellulose, filter paper, and xylan. Upon utilization of these substrates, R. thermocellum M3 achieved an oligosaccharide yield of 481.5 ± 16.0 mg/g Avicel, and a cellular β-glucosidase activity of up to 0.38 U/mL, which is accompanied by a high proportion (approximately 97 %) of glucose during the saccharification. R. thermocellum M3 also showed potential in degrading natural lignocellulosic biomass, without additional pretreatment, to oligosaccharides, and the oligosaccharide yields using poplar sawdust, corn cobs, rice straw, and cornstalks were 52.7 ± 2.77, 77.8 ± 5.9, 89.4 ± 9.3, and 107.8 ± 5.88 mg/g, respectively. CONCLUSIONS The newly isolated strain R. thermocellum M3 degraded lignocellulose and accumulated oligosaccharides. R. thermocellum M3 saccharified lignocellulosic feedstock without the need to add β-glucosidases or control the pH, and the high proportion of glucose production distinguishes it from all other known monocultures of cellulolytic bacteria. R. thermocellum M3 is a potential candidate for lignocellulose saccharification, and it is a valuable choice for the refinement of bioproducts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tao Sheng
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090 China
| | - Lei Zhao
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090 China
- Advanced Water Management Centre, Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology, The University of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD 4072 Australia
| | - Ling-Fang Gao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Wen-Zong Liu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Min-Hua Cui
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090 China
| | - Ze-Chong Guo
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090 China
| | - Xiao-Dan Ma
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090 China
| | - Shih-Hsin Ho
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090 China
| | - Ai-Jie Wang
- State Key Lab of Urban Water Resource and Environment, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin, 150090 China
- CAS Key Laboratory of Environmental Biotechnology, Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
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Tian L, Papanek B, Olson DG, Rydzak T, Holwerda EK, Zheng T, Zhou J, Maloney M, Jiang N, Giannone RJ, Hettich RL, Guss AM, Lynd LR. Simultaneous achievement of high ethanol yield and titer in Clostridium thermocellum. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2016; 9:116. [PMID: 27257435 PMCID: PMC4890492 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-016-0528-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 05/19/2016] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Biofuel production from plant cell walls offers the potential for sustainable and economically attractive alternatives to petroleum-based products. Fuels from cellulosic biomass are particularly promising, but would benefit from lower processing costs. Clostridium thermocellum can rapidly solubilize and ferment cellulosic biomass, making it a promising candidate microorganism for consolidated bioprocessing for biofuel production, but increases in product yield and titer are still needed. RESULTS Here, we started with an engineered C. thermocellum strain where the central metabolic pathways to products other than ethanol had been deleted. After two stages of adaptive evolution, an evolved strain was selected with improved yield and titer. On chemically defined medium with crystalline cellulose as substrate, the evolved strain produced 22.4 ± 1.4 g/L ethanol from 60 g/L cellulose. The resulting yield was about 0.39 gETOH/gGluc eq, which is 75 % of the maximum theoretical yield. Genome resequencing, proteomics, and biochemical analysis were used to examine differences between the original and evolved strains. CONCLUSIONS A two step selection method successfully improved the ethanol yield and the titer. This evolved strain has the highest ethanol yield and titer reported to date for C. thermocellum, and is an important step in the development of this microbe for industrial applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Tian
- />Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Beth Papanek
- />Bredesen Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
- />Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Daniel G. Olson
- />Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Thomas Rydzak
- />Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Evert K. Holwerda
- />Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Tianyong Zheng
- />Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Jilai Zhou
- />Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Marybeth Maloney
- />Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Nannan Jiang
- />Bredesen Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
- />Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Richard J. Giannone
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- />Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Robert L. Hettich
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- />Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Adam M. Guss
- />Bredesen Center, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN 37996 USA
- />Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Lee R. Lynd
- />Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, 14 Engineering Drive, Hanover, NH 03755 USA
- />Bioenergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
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Peng T, Pan S, Christopher LP, Sparling R, Levin DB. Growth and metabolic profiling of the novel thermophilic bacterium Thermoanaerobacter sp. strain YS13. Can J Microbiol 2016; 62:762-71. [PMID: 27569998 DOI: 10.1139/cjm-2016-0040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
A strictly anaerobic, thermophilic bacterium, designated strain YS13, was isolated from a geothermal hot spring. Phylogenetic analysis using the 16S rRNA genes and cpn60 UT genes suggested strain YS13 as a species of Thermoanaerobacter. Using cellobiose or xylose as carbon source, YS13 was able to grow over a wide range of temperatures (45-70 °C), and pHs (pH 5.0-9.0), with optimum growth at 65 °C and pH 7.0. Metabolic profiling on cellobiose, glucose, or xylose in 1191 medium showed that H2, CO2, ethanol, acetate, and lactate were the major metabolites. Lactate was the predominant end product from glucose or cellobiose fermentations, whereas H2 and acetate were the dominant end products from xylose fermentation. The metabolic balance shifted away from ethanol to H2, acetate, and lactate when YS13 was grown on cellobiose as temperatures increased from 45 to 70 °C. When YS13 was grown on xylose, a metabolic shift from lactate to H2, CO2, and acetate was observed in cultures as the temperature of incubation increased from 45 to 65 °C, whereas a shift from ethanol and CO2 to H2, acetate, and lactate was observed in cultures incubated at 70 °C.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tingting Peng
- a Department of Food Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China.,d Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 3N3, Canada
| | - Siyi Pan
- a Department of Food Science, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan, China
| | - Lew P Christopher
- b Biorefining Research Institute, Lakehead University, Thunder Bay, ON P7B 5Z5, Canada
| | - Richard Sparling
- c Department of Microbiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 3N3, Canada
| | - David B Levin
- d Department of Biosystems Engineering, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 3N3, Canada
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Deng Y, Mao Y, Zhang X. Metabolic engineering of a laboratory-evolvedThermobifida fuscamuC strain for malic acid production on cellulose and minimal treated lignocellulosic biomass. Biotechnol Prog 2016; 32:14-20. [DOI: 10.1002/btpr.2180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/25/2015] [Revised: 09/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yu Deng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology (NELCF); Jiangnan University; Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 China
- School of pharmaceutical science; Jiangnan University; Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 China
| | - Yin Mao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology (NELCF); Jiangnan University; Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 China
- School of pharmaceutical science; Jiangnan University; Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 China
| | - Xiaojuan Zhang
- School of pharmaceutical science; Jiangnan University; Wuxi Jiangsu 214122 China
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Deng Y, Mao Y, Zhang X. Driving carbon flux through exogenous butyryl-CoA: Acetate CoA-transferase to produce butyric acid at high titer in Thermobifida fusca. J Biotechnol 2015; 216:151-7. [PMID: 26535965 DOI: 10.1016/j.jbiotec.2015.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2015] [Revised: 10/07/2015] [Accepted: 10/29/2015] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Butyric acid, a 4-carbon short chain fatty acid, is widely used in chemical, food, and pharmaceutical industries. The low activity of butyryl-CoA: acetate CoA-transferase in Thermobifida fusca muS, a thermophilic actinobacterium whose optimal temperature was 55°C, was found to hinder the accumulation of high yield of butyric acid. In order to solve this problem, an exogenous butyryl-CoA: acetate CoA-transferase gene (actA) from Thermoanaerobacterium thermosaccharolyticum DSM571 was integrated into the chromosome of T. fusca muS by replacing celR gene, forming T. fusca muS-1. We demonstrated that on 5g/L cellulose, the yield of butyric acid by the engineered muS-1 strain was increased by 42.9 % compared to the muS strain. On 100g/L of cellulose, the muS-1 strain could consume 90.5% of total cellulose in 144h, with 33.2g/L butyric acid produced. Furthermore, on the mix substrates including the major components of biomass: cellulose, xylose, mannose and galactose, 70.4g/L butyric acid was produced in 168h by fed-batch fermentation. To validate the ability of fermenting biomass, the muS-1 strain was grown on the milled corn stover ranging from 200 to 250μm. The muS-1 strain had the highest butyrate titer 17.1g/L on 90g/L corn stover.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Deng
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology (NELCF), Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
| | - Yin Mao
- National Engineering Laboratory for Cereal Fermentation Technology (NELCF), Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China; The Key Laboratory of Industrial Biotechnology, Ministry of Education, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China
| | - Xiaojuan Zhang
- School of Pharmaceutical Science, Jiangnan University, 1800 Lihu Road, Wuxi, Jiangsu 214122, China.
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Thompson RA, Layton DS, Guss AM, Olson DG, Lynd LR, Trinh CT. Elucidating central metabolic redox obstacles hindering ethanol production in Clostridium thermocellum. Metab Eng 2015; 32:207-219. [PMID: 26497628 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2015.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2015] [Revised: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/12/2015] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium thermocellum is an anaerobic, Gram-positive, thermophilic bacterium that has generated great interest due to its ability to ferment lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol. However, ethanol production is low due to the complex and poorly understood branched metabolism of C. thermocellum, and in some cases overflow metabolism as well. In this work, we developed a predictive stoichiometric metabolic model for C. thermocellum which incorporates the current state of understanding, with particular attention to cofactor specificity in the atypical glycolytic enzymes and the complex energy, redox, and fermentative pathways with the goal of aiding metabolic engineering efforts. We validated the model's capability to encompass experimentally observed phenotypes for the parent strain and derived mutants designed for significant perturbation of redox and energy pathways. Metabolic flux distributions revealed significant alterations in key metabolic branch points (e.g., phosphoenol pyruvate, pyruvate, acetyl-CoA, and cofactor nodes) in engineered strains for channeling electron and carbon fluxes for enhanced ethanol synthesis, with the best performing strain doubling ethanol yield and titer compared to the parent strain. In silico predictions of a redox-imbalanced genotype incapable of growth were confirmed in vivo, and a mutant strain was used as a platform to probe redox bottlenecks in the central metabolism that hinder efficient ethanol production. The results highlight the robustness of the redox metabolism of C. thermocellum and the necessity of streamlined electron flux from reduced ferredoxin to NAD(P)H for high ethanol production. The model was further used to design a metabolic engineering strategy to phenotypically constrain C. thermocellum to achieve high ethanol yields while requiring minimal genetic manipulations. The model can be applied to design C. thermocellum as a platform microbe for consolidated bioprocessing to produce ethanol and other reduced metabolites.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Adam Thompson
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Donovan S Layton
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA
| | - Adam M Guss
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Biosciecnes Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA
| | - Daniel G Olson
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Lee R Lynd
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH, USA
| | - Cong T Trinh
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Research and Graduate Education, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville and Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, USA; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, USA.
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Elimination of metabolic pathways to all traditional fermentation products increases ethanol yields in Clostridium thermocellum. Metab Eng 2015; 32:49-54. [PMID: 26369438 DOI: 10.1016/j.ymben.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/01/2015] [Revised: 08/27/2015] [Accepted: 09/02/2015] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
Clostridium thermocellum has the natural ability to convert cellulose to ethanol, making it a promising candidate for consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) of cellulosic biomass to biofuels. To further improve its CBP capabilities, a mutant strain of C. thermocellum was constructed (strain AG553; C. thermocellum Δhpt ΔhydG Δldh Δpfl Δpta-ack) to increase flux to ethanol by removing side product formation. Strain AG553 showed a two- to threefold increase in ethanol yield relative to the wild type on all substrates tested. On defined medium, strain AG553 exceeded 70% of theoretical ethanol yield on lower loadings of the model crystalline cellulose Avicel, effectively eliminating formate, acetate, and lactate production and reducing H2 production by fivefold. On 5 g/L Avicel, strain AG553 reached an ethanol yield of 63.5% of the theoretical maximum compared with 19.9% by the wild type, and it showed similar yields on pretreated switchgrass and poplar. The elimination of organic acid production suggested that the strain might be capable of growth under higher substrate loadings in the absence of pH control. Final ethanol titer peaked at 73.4mM in mutant AG553 on 20 g/L Avicel, at which point the pH decreased to a level that does not allow growth of C. thermocellum, likely due to CO2 accumulation. In comparison, the maximum titer of wild type C. thermocellum was 14.1mM ethanol on 10 g/L Avicel. With the elimination of the metabolic pathways to all traditional fermentation products other than ethanol, AG553 is the best ethanol-yielding CBP strain to date and will serve as a platform strain for further metabolic engineering for the bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass.
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Zhang P, Wang B, Xiao Q, Wu S. A kinetics modeling study on the inhibition of glucose on cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2015; 190:36-43. [PMID: 25919935 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2015.04.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2015] [Revised: 04/11/2015] [Accepted: 04/13/2015] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
A simplified kinetics model was built to study the inhibition of glucose on cellulosome of Clostridium thermocellum. Suitable reaction conditions were adopted to evaluate the model. The model was evaluated at different temperatures and further with various activated carbon additions as adsorbent for glucose. Investigation results revealed that the model could describe the hydrolysis kinetics of cellulose by cellulosome quite well. Glucose was found to be an inhibitor for cellulosome based on the kinetics analysis. Inhibition increased with the increase in temperature. Activated carbon as adsorbent could lower the inhibition. Parameters in the model were further discussed based on the experiment. The model might also be used to describe the strong inhibition of cellobiose on cellulosome. Saccharification of cellulose by both cellulosome and C. thermocellum could be enhanced efficiently by activated carbon addition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengcheng Zhang
- School of Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073, PR China
| | - Buyun Wang
- School of Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073, PR China.
| | - Qunfang Xiao
- School of Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073, PR China
| | - Shan Wu
- School of Environmental Engineering, Wuhan Textile University, Wuhan 430073, PR China
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Elimination of formate production in Clostridium thermocellum. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2015; 42:1263-72. [PMID: 26162629 PMCID: PMC4536278 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-015-1644-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2015] [Accepted: 06/15/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The ability of Clostridium thermocellum to rapidly degrade cellulose and ferment resulting hydrolysis products into ethanol makes it a promising platform organism for cellulosic biofuel production via consolidated bioprocessing. Currently, however, ethanol yield is far below theoretical maximum due to branched product pathways that divert carbon and electrons towards formate, H2, lactate, acetate, and secreted amino acids. To redirect carbon and electron flux away from formate, genes encoding pyruvate:formate lyase (pflB) and PFL-activating enzyme (pflA) were deleted. Formate production in the resulting Δpfl strain was eliminated and acetate production decreased by 50 % on both complex and defined medium. The growth rate of the Δpfl strain decreased by 2.9-fold on defined medium and biphasic growth was observed on complex medium. Supplementation of defined medium with 2 mM formate restored Δpfl growth rate to 80 % of the parent strain. The role of pfl in metabolic engineering strategies and C1 metabolism is discussed.
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Facultative Anaerobe Caldibacillus debilis GB1: Characterization and Use in a Designed Aerotolerant, Cellulose-Degrading Coculture with Clostridium thermocellum. Appl Environ Microbiol 2015; 81:5567-73. [PMID: 26048931 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00735-15] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2015] [Accepted: 06/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Development of a designed coculture that can achieve aerotolerant ethanogenic biofuel production from cellulose can reduce the costs of maintaining anaerobic conditions during industrial consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). To this end, a strain of Caldibacillus debilis isolated from an air-tolerant cellulolytic consortium which included a Clostridium thermocellum strain was characterized and compared with the C. debilis type strain. Characterization of isolate C. debilis GB1 and comparisons with the type strain of C. debilis revealed significant physiological differences, including (i) the absence of anaerobic metabolism in the type strain and (ii) different end product synthesis profiles under the experimental conditions used. The designed cocultures displayed unique responses to oxidative conditions, including an increase in lactate production. We show here that when the two species were cultured together, the noncellulolytic facultative anaerobe C. debilis GB1 provided respiratory protection for C. thermocellum, allowing the synergistic utilization of cellulose even under an aerobic atmosphere.
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