Organic solvent-selective domain of the resistance-nodulation-division-type xenobiotic-antibiotic transporters of Pseudomonas aeruginosa

Role of efflux in enhancing butanol tolerance of bacteria

N-butanol, a valued solvent and potential fuel extender, could possibly be produced by fermentation using either native producers, i.e. solventogenic Clostridia, or engineered platform organisms such as Escherichia coli or Pseudomonas species, if the main process obstacle, a low final butanol concentration, could be overcome. A low final concentration of butanol is the result of its high toxicity to production cells. Nevertheless, bacteria have developed several mechanisms to cope with this toxicity and one of them is active butanol efflux. This review presents information about a few well characterized butanol efflux pumps from Gram-negative bacteria (P. putida and E. coli) and summarizes knowledge about putative butanol efflux systems in Gram-positive bacteria.

Discovery of a modified transcription factor endowing yeasts with organic-solvent tolerance and reconstruction of an organic-solvent-tolerant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain

Organic-solvent tolerance in Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain KK-211, which was first isolated as an organic-solvent-tolerant strain, depends on point mutation (R821S) of the transcription factor Pdr1p. The integration of the PDR1 R821S mutation into wild-type yeast results in organic-solvent tolerance, and the PDR1 R821S mutant can reduce carbonyl compounds in organic solvents.