Expression of the Escherichia coli xylose isomerase gene in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

An atlas of rational genetic engineering strategies for improved xylose metabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Xylose is the second most abundant carbohydrate in nature, mostly present in lignocellulosic material, and representing an appealing feedstock for molecule manufacturing through biotechnological routes. However, Saccharomyces cerevisiae-a microbial cell widely used industrially for ethanol production-is unable to assimilate this sugar. Hence, in a world with raising environmental awareness, the efficient fermentation of pentoses is a crucial bottleneck to producing biofuels from renewable biomass resources. In this context, advances in the genetic mapping of S. cerevisiae have contributed to noteworthy progress in the understanding of xylose metabolism in yeast, as well as the identification of gene targets that enable the development of tailored strains for cellulosic ethanol production. Accordingly, this review focuses on the main strategies employed to understand the network of genes that are directly or indirectly related to this phenotype, and their respective contributions to xylose consumption in S. cerevisiae, especially for ethanol production. Altogether, the information in this work summarizes the most recent and relevant results from scientific investigations that endowed S. cerevisiae with an outstanding capability for commercial ethanol production from xylose.

Xylose isomerase from Piromyces sp. E2 is a promiscuous enzyme with epimerase activity

Xylose isomerase catalyzes the isomerization of D-xylose to D-xylulose with promiscuous activity for other saccharides including D-glucose, D-allose, and L-arabinose. The xylose isomerase from the fungus Piromyces sp. E2 (PirE2_XI) is used to engineer xylose usage by the fermenting yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, but its biochemical characterization is poorly understood with divergent catalytic parameters reported. We have measured the kinetic parameters of the PirE2_XI and analyzed its thermostability and pH-dependence towards different substrates. The PirE2_XI shows promiscuous activity towards D-xylose, D-glucose, D-ribose and L-arabinose with variable effects depending on different divalent ions and epimerizes D-xylose at C3 to produce D-ribulose in a substrate/product dependent ratio. The enzyme follows Michaelis-Menten kinetics for the substrates used and although K_M values for D-xylose are comparable at 30 and 60 °C, the k_cat/K_M is three-fold greater at 60 °C. The purified PirE2_XI shows maximal activity at 65 °C in the pH range of 6.5-7.5 and is a thermostable enzyme, maintaining full activity over 48 h at 30 °C or 12 h at 60 °C. This is the first report demonstrating epimerase activity of the PirE2_XI and its ability to isomerize D-ribose and L-arabinose, and provides a comprehensive in vitro study of substrate specificity, effect of metal ions and temperature on enzyme activity and these findings advance the knowledge of the mechanism of action of this enzyme.

Fermentation of D-xylose to Ethanol by Saccharomyces cerevisiae CAT-1 Recombinant Strains

Ethanol production by the D-xylose fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass would augment environmental sustainability by increasing the yield of biofuel obtained per cultivated area. A set of recombinant strains derived from the industrial strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae CAT-1 was developed for this purpose. First, two recombinant strains were obtained by the chromosomal insertion of genes involved in the assimilation and transport of D-xylose (Gal2-N376F). Strain CAT-1-XRT was developed with heterologous genes for D-xylose metabolism from the oxo-reductive pathway of Scheffersomyces stipitis (XYL1-K270R, XYL2); and strain CAT-1-XIT, with D-xylose isomerase (xylA gene, XI) from Streptomyces coelicolor. Moreover, both recombinant strains contained extra copies of homologous genes for xylulose kinase (XK) and transaldolase (TAL1). Furthermore, plasmid (pRS42K::XI) was constructed with xylA from Piromyces sp. transferred to CAT-1, CAT-1-XRT, and CAT-1-XIT, followed by an evolution protocol. After 10 subcultures, CAT-1-XIT (pRS42K::XI) consumed 74% of D-xylose, producing 12.6 g/L ethanol (0.31 g ethanol/g D-xylose). The results of this study show that CAT-1-XIT (pRS42K::XI) is a promising recombinant strain for the efficient utilization of D-xylose to produce ethanol from lignocellulosic materials.

Identification and functional expression of a new xylose isomerase from the goat rumen microbiome in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The current climate crisis demands replacement of fossil energy sources with sustainable alternatives. In this scenario, second-generation bioethanol, a product of lignocellulosic biomass fermentation, represents a more sustainable alternative. However, Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot metabolize pentoses, such as xylose, present as a major component of lignocellulosic biomass. Xylose isomerase (XI) is an enzyme that allows xylose consumption by yeasts, since it converts xylose into xylulose, which is further converted to ethanol by the pentose-phosphate pathway. Only a few XI were successfully expressed in S. cerevisiae strains. This work presents a new bacterial xylose isomerase, named GR-XI 1, obtained from a Brazilian goat rumen metagenomic library. Phylogenetic analysis confirmed the bacterial origin of the gene, which is related to Firmicutes xylose isomerases. After codon optimization, this enzyme, renamed XySC1, was functionally expressed in S. cerevisiae, allowing growth in media with xylose as sole carbon source. Overexpression of XySC1 in S. cerevisiae allowed the recombinant strain to efficiently consume and metabolize xylose under aerobic conditions.

Xylo-Oligosaccharide Utilization by Engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Produce Ethanol

The engineering of xylo-oligosaccharide-consuming Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains is a promising approach for more effective utilization of lignocellulosic biomass and the development of economic industrial fermentation processes. Extending the sugar consumption range without catabolite repression by including the metabolism of oligomers instead of only monomers would significantly improve second-generation ethanol production This review focuses on different aspects of the action mechanisms of xylan-degrading enzymes from bacteria and fungi, and their insertion in S. cerevisiae strains to obtain microbial cell factories able of consume these complex sugars and convert them to ethanol. Emphasis is given to different strategies for ethanol production from both extracellular and intracellular xylo-oligosaccharide utilization by S. cerevisiae strains. The suitability of S. cerevisiae for ethanol production combined with its genetic tractability indicates that it can play an important role in xylan bioconversion through the heterologous expression of xylanases from other microorganisms.

A novel D-xylose isomerase from the gut of the wood feeding beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus efficiently expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Carbohydrate rich substrates such as lignocellulosic hydrolysates remain one of the primary sources of potentially renewable fuel and bulk chemicals. The pentose sugar d-xylose is often present in significant amounts along with hexoses. Saccharomyces cerevisiae can acquire the ability to metabolize d-xylose through expression of heterologous d-xylose isomerase (XI). This enzyme is notoriously difficult to express in S. cerevisiae and only fourteen XIs have been reported to be active so far. We cloned a new d-xylose isomerase derived from microorganisms in the gut of the wood-feeding beetle Odontotaenius disjunctus. Although somewhat homologous to the XI from Piromyces sp. E2, the new gene was identified as bacterial in origin and the host as a Parabacteroides sp. Expression of the new XI in S. cerevisiae resulted in faster aerobic growth than the XI from Piromyces on d-xylose media. The d-xylose isomerization rate conferred by the new XI was also 72% higher, while absolute xylitol production was identical in both strains. Interestingly, increasing concentrations of xylitol (up to 8 g L⁻¹) appeared not to inhibit d-xylose consumption. The newly described XI displayed 2.6 times higher specific activity, 37% lower K_M for d-xylose, and exhibited higher activity over a broader temperature range, retaining 51% of maximal activity at 30 °C compared with only 29% activity for the Piromyces XI.

Engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae for lignocellulosic valorization: a review and perspectives on bioethanol production

The biorefinery concept, consisting in using renewable biomass with economical and energy goals, appeared in response to the ongoing exhaustion of fossil reserves. Bioethanol is the most prominent biofuel and has been considered one of the top chemicals to be obtained from biomass. Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the preferred microorganism for ethanol production, has been the target of extensive genetic modifications to improve the production of this alcohol from renewable biomasses. Additionally, S. cerevisiae strains from harsh industrial environments have been exploited due to their robust traits and improved fermentative capacity. Nevertheless, there is still not an optimized strain capable of turning second generation bioprocesses economically viable. Considering this, and aiming to facilitate and guide the future development of effective S. cerevisiae strains, this work reviews genetic engineering strategies envisioning improvements in ^2nd generation bioethanol production, with special focus in process-related traits, xylose consumption, and consolidated bioprocessing. Altogether, the genetic toolbox described proves S. cerevisiae to be a key microorganism for the establishment of a bioeconomy, not only for the production of lignocellulosic bioethanol, but also having potential as a cell factory platform for overall valorization of renewable biomasses.

Systematic improvement of isobutanol production from D-xylose in engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae

As the importance of reducing carbon emissions as a means to limit the serious effects of global climate change becomes apparent, synthetic biologists and metabolic engineers are looking to develop renewable sources for transportation fuels and petroleum-derived chemicals. In recent years, microbial production of high-energy fuels has emerged as an attractive alternative to the traditional production of transportation fuels. In particular, the Baker’s yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, a highly versatile microbial chassis, has been engineered to produce a wide array of biofuels. Nevertheless, a key limitation of S. cerevisiae is its inability to utilize xylose, the second most abundant sugar in lignocellulosic biomass, for both growth and chemical production. Therefore, the development of a robust S. cerevisiae strain that is able to use xylose is of great importance. Here, we engineered S. cerevisiae to efficiently utilize xylose as a carbon source and produce the advanced biofuel isobutanol. Specifically, we screened xylose reductase (XR) and xylose dehydrogenase (XDH) variants from different xylose-metabolizing yeast strains to identify the XR–XDH combination with the highest activity. Overexpression of the selected XR–XDH variants, a xylose-specific sugar transporter, xylulokinase, and isobutanol pathway enzymes in conjunction with the deletions of PHO13 and GRE3 resulted in an engineered strain that is capable of producing isobutanol at a titer of 48.4 ± 2.0 mg/L (yield of 7.0 mg/g d-xylose). This is a 36-fold increase from the previous report by Brat and Boles and, to our knowledge, is the highest isobutanol yield from d-xylose in a microbial system. We hope that our work will set the stage for an economic route for the production of advanced biofuel isobutanol and enable efficient utilization of lignocellulosic biomass.

Molecular evolutionary engineering of xylose isomerase to improve its catalytic activity and performance of micro-aerobic glucose/xylose co-fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

BACKGROUND

Expression of d-xylose isomerase having high catalytic activity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae (S. cerevisiae) is a prerequisite for efficient and economical production of bioethanol from cellulosic biomass. Although previous studies demonstrated functional expression of several xylose isomerases (XI) in S. cerevisiae, identification of XIs having higher catalytic activity is needed. Here, we report a new strategy to improve xylose fermentation in the S. cerevisiae strain IR-2 that involves an evolutionary engineering to select top-performing XIs from eight previously reported XIs derived from various species.

RESULTS

Eight XI genes shown to have good expression in S. cerevisiae were introduced into the strain IR-2 having a deletion of GRE3 and XKS1 overexpression that allows use of d-xylose as a carbon source. Each transformant was evaluated under aerobic and micro-aerobic culture conditions. The strain expressing XI from Lachnoclostridium phytofermentans ISDg (LpXI) had the highest d-xylose consumption rate after 72 h of micro-aerobic fermentation on d-glucose and d-xylose mixed medium. To enhance LpXI catalytic activity, we performed random mutagenesis using error-prone polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which yielded two LpXI candidates, SS82 and SS92, that showed markedly improved fermentation performance. The LpXI genes in these clones carried either T63I or V162A/N303T point mutations. The SS120 strain expressing LpXI with the double mutation of T63I/V162A assimilated nearly 85 g/L d-glucose and 35 g/L d-xylose to produce 53.3 g/L ethanol in 72 h with an ethanol yield of approximately 0.44 (g/g-input sugars). An in vitro enzyme assay showed that, compared to wild-type, the LpXI double mutant in SS120 had a considerably higher V _max (0.107 µmol/mg protein/min) and lower K _m (37.1 mM).

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that LpXI has the highest d-xylose consumption rate among the XIs expressed in IR-2 under micro-aerobic co-fermentation conditions. A combination of novel mutations (T63I and V162A) significantly improved the enzymatic activity of LpXI, indicating that LpXI-T63I/V162A would be a potential construct for highly efficient production of cellulosic ethanol.

Microbial conversion of xylose into useful bioproducts

Microorganisms can produce a number of different bioproducts from the sugars in plant biomass. One challenge is devising processes that utilize all of the sugars in lignocellulosic hydrolysates. D-xylose is the second most abundant sugar in these hydrolysates. The microbial conversion of D-xylose to ethanol has been studied extensively; only recently, however, has conversion to bioproducts other than ethanol been explored. Moreover, in the case of yeast, D-xylose may provide a better feedstock for the production of bioproducts other than ethanol, because the relevant pathways are not subject to glucose-dependent repression. In this review, we discuss how different microorganisms are being used to produce novel bioproducts from D-xylose. We also discuss how D-xylose could be potentially used instead of glucose for the production of value-added bioproducts.

Engineering and Evolution of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to Produce Biofuels and Chemicals

To mitigate global climate change caused partly by the use of fossil fuels, the production of fuels and chemicals from renewable biomass has been attempted. The conversion of various sugars from renewable biomass into biofuels by engineered baker's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) is one major direction which has grown dramatically in recent years. As well as shifting away from fossil fuels, the production of commodity chemicals by engineered S. cerevisiae has also increased significantly. The traditional approaches of biochemical and metabolic engineering to develop economic bioconversion processes in laboratory and industrial settings have been accelerated by rapid advancements in the areas of yeast genomics, synthetic biology, and systems biology. Together, these innovations have resulted in rapid and efficient manipulation of S. cerevisiae to expand fermentable substrates and diversify value-added products. Here, we discuss recent and major advances in rational (relying on prior experimentally-derived knowledge) and combinatorial (relying on high-throughput screening and genomics) approaches to engineer S. cerevisiae for producing ethanol, butanol, 2,3-butanediol, fatty acid ethyl esters, isoprenoids, organic acids, rare sugars, antioxidants, and sugar alcohols from glucose, xylose, cellobiose, galactose, acetate, alginate, mannitol, arabinose, and lactose.

Metal Dependence of the Xylose Isomerase from Piromyces sp. E2 Explored by Activity Profiling and Protein Crystallography

Xylose isomerase from Piromyces sp. E2 (PirXI) can be used to equip Saccharomyces cerevisiae with the capacity to ferment xylose to ethanol. The biochemical properties and structure of the enzyme have not been described even though its metal content, catalytic parameters, and expression level are critical for rapid xylose utilization. We have isolated the enzyme after high-level expression in Escherichia coli, analyzed the metal dependence of its catalytic properties, and determined 12 crystal structures in the presence of different metals, substrates, and substrate analogues. The activity assays revealed that various bivalent metals can activate PirXI for xylose isomerization. Among these metals, Mn²⁺ is the most favorable for catalytic activity. Furthermore, the enzyme shows the highest affinity for Mn²⁺, which was established by measuring the activation constants (K_act) for different metals. Metal analysis of the purified enzyme showed that in vivo the enzyme binds a mixture of metals that is determined by metal availability as well as affinity, indicating that the native metal composition can influence activity. The crystal structures show the presence of an active site similar to that of other xylose isomerases, with a d-xylose binding site containing two tryptophans and a catalytic histidine, as well as two metal binding sites that are formed by carboxylate groups of conserved aspartates and glutamates. The binding positions and conformations of the metal-coordinating residues varied slightly for different metals, which is hypothesized to contribute to the observed metal dependence of the isomerase activity.

Conversion of an inactive xylose isomerase into a functional enzyme by co-expression of GroEL-GroES chaperonins in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

BACKGROUND

Second-generation ethanol production is a clean bioenergy source with potential to mitigate fossil fuel emissions. The engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for xylose utilization is an essential step towards the production of this biofuel. Though xylose isomerase (XI) is the key enzyme for xylose conversion, almost half of the XI genes are not functional when expressed in S. cerevisiae. To date, protein misfolding is the most plausible hypothesis to explain this phenomenon.

RESULTS

This study demonstrated that XI from the bacterium Propionibacterium acidipropionici becomes functional in S. cerevisiae when co-expressed with GroEL-GroES chaperonin complex from Escherichia coli. The developed strain BTY34, harboring the chaperonin complex, is able to efficiently convert xylose to ethanol with a yield of 0.44 g ethanol/g xylose. Furthermore, the BTY34 strain presents a xylose consumption rate similar to those observed for strains carrying the widely used XI from the fungus Orpinomyces sp. In addition, the tetrameric XI structure from P. acidipropionici showed an elevated number of hydrophobic amino acid residues on the surface of protein when compared to XI commonly expressed in S. cerevisiae.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on our results, we elaborate an extensive discussion concerning the uncertainties that surround heterologous expression of xylose isomerases in S. cerevisiae. Probably, a correct folding promoted by GroEL-GroES could solve some issues regarding a limited or absent XI activity in S. cerevisiae. The strains developed in this work have promising industrial characteristics, and the designed strategy could be an interesting approach to overcome the non-functionality of bacterial protein expression in yeasts.

Production of fuels and chemicals from xylose by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae: a review and perspective

Efficient xylose utilization is one of the most important pre-requisites for developing an economic microbial conversion process of terrestrial lignocellulosic biomass into biofuels and biochemicals. A robust ethanol producing yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been engineered with heterologous xylose assimilation pathways. A two-step oxidoreductase pathway consisting of NAD(P)H-linked xylose reductase and NAD⁺-linked xylitol dehydrogenase, and one-step isomerase pathway using xylose isomerase have been employed to enable xylose assimilation in engineered S. cerevisiae. However, the resulting engineered yeast exhibited inefficient and slow xylose fermentation. In order to improve the yield and productivity of xylose fermentation, expression levels of xylose assimilation pathway enzymes and their kinetic properties have been optimized, and additional optimizations of endogenous or heterologous metabolisms have been achieved. These efforts have led to the development of engineered yeast strains ready for the commercialization of cellulosic bioethanol. Interestingly, xylose metabolism by engineered yeast was preferably respiratory rather than fermentative as in glucose metabolism, suggesting that xylose can serve as a desirable carbon source capable of bypassing metabolic barriers exerted by glucose repression. Accordingly, engineered yeasts showed superior production of valuable metabolites derived from cytosolic acetyl-CoA and pyruvate, such as 1-hexadecanol and lactic acid, when the xylose assimilation pathway and target synthetic pathways were optimized in an adequate manner. While xylose has been regarded as a sugar to be utilized because it is present in cellulosic hydrolysates, potential benefits of using xylose instead of glucose for yeast-based biotechnological processes need to be realized.

Mutations in PMR1 stimulate xylose isomerase activity and anaerobic growth on xylose of engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae by influencing manganese homeostasis

Combined overexpression of xylulokinase, pentose-phosphate-pathway enzymes and a heterologous xylose isomerase (XI) is required but insufficient for anaerobic growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on d-xylose. Single-step Cas9-assisted implementation of these modifications yielded a yeast strain expressing Piromyces XI that showed fast aerobic growth on d-xylose. However, anaerobic growth required a 12-day adaptation period. Xylose-adapted cultures carried mutations in PMR1, encoding a Golgi Ca2+/Mn2+ ATPase. Deleting PMR1 in the parental XI-expressing strain enabled instantaneous anaerobic growth on d-xylose. In pmr1 strains, intracellular Mn2+ concentrations were much higher than in the parental strain. XI activity assays in cell extracts and reconstitution experiments with purified XI apoenzyme showed superior enzyme kinetics with Mn2+ relative to other divalent metal ions. This study indicates engineering of metal homeostasis as a relevant approach for optimization of metabolic pathways involving metal-dependent enzymes. Specifically, it identifies metal interactions of heterologous XIs as an underexplored aspect of engineering xylose metabolism in yeast.

Xylose Fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Challenges and Prospects

Many years have passed since the first genetically modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains capable of fermenting xylose were obtained with the promise of an environmentally sustainable solution for the conversion of the abundant lignocellulosic biomass to ethanol. Several challenges emerged from these first experiences, most of them related to solving redox imbalances, discovering new pathways for xylose utilization, modulation of the expression of genes of the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway, and reduction of xylitol formation. Strategies on evolutionary engineering were used to improve fermentation kinetics, but the resulting strains were still far from industrial application. Lignocellulosic hydrolysates proved to have different inhibitors derived from lignin and sugar degradation, along with significant amounts of acetic acid, intrinsically related with biomass deconstruction. This, associated with pH, temperature, high ethanol, and other stress fluctuations presented on large scale fermentations led the search for yeasts with more robust backgrounds, like industrial strains, as engineering targets. Some promising yeasts were obtained both from studies of stress tolerance genes and adaptation on hydrolysates. Since fermentation times on mixed-substrate hydrolysates were still not cost-effective, the more selective search for new or engineered sugar transporters for xylose are still the focus of many recent studies. These challenges, as well as under-appreciated process strategies, will be discussed in this review.

Functional expression of xylose isomerase in flocculating industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain for bioethanol production

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains with xylose isomerase (XI) pathway were constructed using a flocculating industrial strain (YC-8) as the host. Both strains expressing wild-type xylA (coding XI) from the fungus Orpinomyces sp. and the bacterium Prevotella ruminicola, respectively, showed better growth ability and fermentation capacity when using xylose as the sole sugar than most of the reported strains expressing XI. Codon optimization of both XIs did not improve the xylose fermentation ability of the strains. Adaption significantly increased XI activity resulting in improved growth and fermentation. The strains expressing codon-optimized XI showed a higher increase in xylose consumption and ethanol production compared to strains expressing wild XI. Among all strains, the adapted strain YCPA2E expressing XI from P. ruminicola showed the best performance in the fermentation of xylose to ethanol. After 48 h of fermentation, YCPA2E assimilated 16.95 g/L xylose and produced 6.98 g/L ethanol. These results indicate that YC-8 is a suitable host strain for XI expression, especially for the codon-optimized XI originating from P. ruminicola.

Bacterial xylose isomerases from the mammal gut Bacteroidetes cluster function in Saccharomyces cerevisiae for effective xylose fermentation

BACKGROUND

Xylose isomerase (XI) catalyzes the conversion of xylose to xylulose, which is the key step for anaerobic ethanolic fermentation of xylose. Very few bacterial XIs can function actively in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Here, we illustrate a group of XIs that would function for xylose fermentation in S. cerevisiae through phylogenetic analysis, recombinant yeast strain construction, and xylose fermentation.

RESULTS

Phylogenetic analysis of deposited XI sequences showed that XI evolutionary relationship was highly consistent with the bacterial taxonomic orders and quite a few functional XIs in S. cerevisiae were clustered with XIs from mammal gut Bacteroidetes group. An XI from Bacteroides valgutus in this cluster was actively expressed in S. cerevisiae with an activity comparable to the fungal XI from Piromyces sp. Two XI genes were isolated from the environmental metagenome and they were clustered with XIs from environmental Bacteroidetes group. These two XIs could not be expressed in yeast with activity. With the XI from B. valgutus expressed in S. cerevisiae, background yeast strains were optimized by pentose metabolizing pathway enhancement and adaptive evolution in xylose medium. Afterwards, more XIs from the mammal gut Bacteroidetes group, including those from B. vulgatus, Tannerella sp. 6_1_58FAA_CT1, Paraprevotella xylaniphila and Alistipes sp. HGB5, were individually transformed into S. cerevisiae. The known functional XI from Orpinomyces sp. ukk1, a mammal gut fungus, was used as the control. All the resulting recombinant yeast strains were able to ferment xylose. The respiration-deficient strains harboring B. vulgatus and Alistipes sp. HGB5 XI genes respectively obtained specific xylose consumption rate of 0.662 and 0.704 g xylose gcdw(-1) h(-1), and ethanol specific productivity of 0.277 and 0.283 g ethanol gcdw(-1) h(-1), much comparable to those obtained by the control strain carrying Orpinomyces sp. ukk1 XI gene.

CONCLUSIONS

This study demonstrated that XIs clustered in the mammal gut Bacteroidetes group were able to be expressed functionally in S. cerevisiae and background strain anaerobic adaptive evolution in xylose medium is essential for the screening of functional XIs. The methods outlined in this paper are instructive for the identification of novel XIs that are functional in S. cerevisiae.

Engineering Sugar Utilization and Microbial Tolerance toward Lignocellulose Conversion

Production of fuels and chemicals through a fermentation-based manufacturing process that uses renewable feedstock such as lignocellulosic biomass is a desirable alternative to petrochemicals. Although it is still in its infancy, synthetic biology offers great potential to overcome the challenges associated with lignocellulose conversion. In this review, we will summarize the identification and optimization of synthetic biological parts used to enhance the utilization of lignocellulose-derived sugars and to increase the biocatalyst tolerance for lignocellulose-derived fermentation inhibitors. We will also discuss the ongoing efforts and future applications of synthetic integrated biological systems used to improve lignocellulose conversion.

Metabolomic and (13)C-metabolic flux analysis of a xylose-consuming Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain expressing xylose isomerase

Over the past two decades, significant progress has been made in the engineering of xylose-consuming Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for production of lignocellulosic biofuels. However, the ethanol productivities achieved on xylose are still significantly lower than those observed on glucose for reasons that are not well understood. We have undertaken an analysis of central carbon metabolite pool sizes and metabolic fluxes on glucose and on xylose under aerobic and anaerobic conditions in a strain capable of rapid xylose assimilation via xylose isomerase in order to investigate factors that may limit the rate of xylose fermentation. We find that during xylose utilization the flux through the non-oxidative Pentose Phosphate Pathway (PPP) is high but the flux through the oxidative PPP is low, highlighting an advantage of the strain employed in this study. Furthermore, xylose fails to elicit the full carbon catabolite repression response that is characteristic of glucose fermentation in S. cerevisiae. We present indirect evidence that the incomplete activation of the fermentation program on xylose results in a bottleneck in lower glycolysis, leading to inefficient re-oxidation of NADH produced in glycolysis.

Expression of Arabidopsis thaliana xylose isomerase gene and its effect on ethanol production in Flammulina velutipes

To improve the pentose fermentation rate in Flammulina velutipes, the putative xylose isomerase (XI) gene from Arabidopsis thaliana was cloned and introduced into F. velutipes and the gene expression was evaluated in transformants. mRNA expression of the putative XI gene and XI activity were observed in two transformants, indicating that the putative gene from A. thaliana was successfully expressed in F. velutipes as a xylose isomerase. In addition, ethanol production from xylose was increased in the recombinant strains. This is the first report demonstrating the possibility of using plant genes as candidates for improving the characteristics of F. velutipes.

Co-fermentation of xylose and cellobiose by an engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae

We have integrated and coordinately expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae a xylose isomerase and cellobiose phosphorylase from Ruminococcus flavefaciens that enables fermentation of glucose, xylose, and cellobiose under completely anaerobic conditions. The native xylose isomerase was active in cell-free extracts from yeast transformants containing a single integrated copy of the gene. We improved the activity of the enzyme and its affinity for xylose by modifications to the 5′-end of the gene, site-directed mutagenesis, and codon optimization. The improved enzyme, designated RfCO*, demonstrated a 4.8-fold increase in activity compared to the native xylose isomerase, with a Km for xylose of 66.7 mM and a specific activity of 1.41 μmol/min/mg. In comparison, the native xylose isomerase was found to have a Km for xylose of 117.1 mM and a specific activity of 0.29 μmol/min/mg. The coordinate over-expression of RfCO* along with cellobiose phosphorylase, cellobiose transporters, the endogenous genes GAL2 and XKS1, and disruption of the native PHO13 and GRE3 genes allowed the fermentation of glucose, xylose, and cellobiose under completely anaerobic conditions. Interestingly, this strain was unable to utilize xylose or cellobiose as a sole carbon source for growth under anaerobic conditions, thus minimizing yield loss to biomass formation and maximizing ethanol yield during their fermentation.

Toward pectin fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae: expression of the first two steps of a bacterial pathway for D-galacturonate metabolism

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cannot metabolize D-galacturonate, an important monomer of pectin. Use of S. cerevisiae for production of ethanol or other compounds of interest from pectin-rich feedstocks therefore requires introduction of a heterologous pathway for D-galacturonate metabolism. Bacterial D-galacturonate pathways involve D-galacturonate isomerase, D-tagaturonate reductase and three additional enzymes. This study focuses on functional expression of bacterial D-galacturonate isomerases in S. cerevisiae. After demonstrating high-level functional expression of a D-tagaturonate reductase gene (uxaB from Lactococcus lactis), the resulting yeast strain was used to screen for functional expression of six codon-optimized bacterial D-galacturonate isomerase (uxaC) genes. The L. lactis uxaC gene stood out, yielding a tenfold higher enzyme activity than the other uxaC genes. Efficient expression of D-galacturonate isomerase and D-tagaturonate reductase represents an important step toward metabolic engineering of S. cerevisiae for bioethanol production from D-galacturonate. To investigate in vivo activity of the first steps of the D-galacturonate pathway, the L. lactis uxaB and uxaC genes were expressed in a gpd1Δ gpd2Δ S. cerevisiae strain. Although D-tagaturonate reductase could, in principle, provide an alternative means for re-oxidizing cytosolic NADH, addition of D-galacturonate did not restore anaerobic growth, possibly due to absence of a functional D-altronate exporter in S. cerevisiae.

Xylose isomerase overexpression along with engineering of the pentose phosphate pathway and evolutionary engineering enable rapid xylose utilization and ethanol production by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Xylose is the main pentose and second most abundant sugar in lignocellulosic feedstocks. To improve xylose utilization, necessary for the cost-effective bioconversion of lignocellulose, several metabolic engineering approaches have been employed in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In this study, we describe the rational metabolic engineering of a S. cerevisiae strain, including overexpression of the Piromyces xylose isomerase gene (XYLA), Pichia stipitis xylulose kinase (XYL3) and genes of the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). This engineered strain (H131-A3) was used to initialize a three-stage process of evolutionary engineering, through first aerobic and anaerobic sequential batch cultivation followed by growth in a xylose-limited chemostat. The evolved strain H131-A3-AL(CS) displayed significantly increased anaerobic growth rate (0.203±0.006 h⁻¹) and xylose consumption rate (1.866 g g⁻¹ h⁻¹) along with high ethanol conversion yield (0.41 g/g). These figures exceed by a significant margin any other performance metrics on xylose utilization and ethanol production by S. cerevisiae reported to-date. Further inverse metabolic engineering based on functional complementation suggested that efficient xylose assimilation is attributed, in part, to the elevated expression level of xylose isomerase, which was accomplished through the multiple-copy integration of XYLA in the chromosome of the evolved strain.

Directed evolution of xylose isomerase for improved xylose catabolism and fermentation in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The heterologous expression of a highly functional xylose isomerase pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae would have significant advantages for ethanol yield, since the pathway bypasses cofactor requirements found in the traditionally used oxidoreductase pathways. However, nearly all reported xylose isomerase-based pathways in S. cerevisiae suffer from poor ethanol productivity, low xylose consumption rates, and poor cell growth compared with an oxidoreductase pathway and, additionally, often require adaptive strain evolution. Here, we report on the directed evolution of the Piromyces sp. xylose isomerase (encoded by xylA) for use in yeast. After three rounds of mutagenesis and growth-based screening, we isolated a variant containing six mutations (E15D, E114G, E129D, T142S, A177T, and V433I) that exhibited a 77% increase in enzymatic activity. When expressed in a minimally engineered yeast host containing a gre3 knockout and tal1 and XKS1 overexpression, the strain expressing this mutant enzyme improved its aerobic growth rate by 61-fold and both ethanol production and xylose consumption rates by nearly 8-fold. Moreover, the mutant enzyme enabled ethanol production by these yeasts under oxygen-limited fermentation conditions, unlike the wild-type enzyme. Under microaerobic conditions, the ethanol production rates of the strain expressing the mutant xylose isomerase were considerably higher than previously reported values for yeast harboring a xylose isomerase pathway and were also comparable to those of the strains harboring an oxidoreductase pathway. Consequently, this study shows the potential to evolve a xylose isomerase pathway for more efficient xylose utilization.

Xylitol does not inhibit xylose fermentation by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing xylA as severely as it inhibits xylose isomerase reaction in vitro

Efficient fermentation of xylose, which is abundant in hydrolysates of lignocellulosic biomass, is essential for producing cellulosic biofuels economically. While heterologous expression of xylose isomerase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae has been proposed as a strategy to engineer this yeast for xylose fermentation, only a few xylose isomerase genes from fungi and bacteria have been functionally expressed in S. cerevisiae. We cloned two bacterial xylose isomerase genes from anaerobic bacteria (Bacteroides stercoris HJ-15 and Bifidobacterium longum MG1) and introduced them into S. cerevisiae. While the transformant with xylA from B. longum could not assimilate xylose, the transformant with xylA from B. stercoris was able to grow on xylose. This result suggests that the xylose isomerase (BsXI) from B. stercoris is functionally expressed in S. cerevisiae. The engineered S. cerevisiae strain with BsXI consumed xylose and produced ethanol with a good yield (0.31 g/g) under anaerobic conditions. Interestingly, significant amounts of xylitol (0.23 g xylitol/g xylose) were still accumulated during xylose fermentation even though the introduced BsXI might not cause redox imbalance. We investigated the potential inhibitory effects of the accumulated xylitol on xylose fermentation. Although xylitol inhibited in vitro BsXI activity significantly (K(I) = 5.1 ± 1.15 mM), only small decreases (less than 10%) in xylose consumption and ethanol production rates were observed when xylitol was added into the fermentation medium. These results suggest that xylitol accumulation does not inhibit xylose fermentation by engineered S. cerevisiae expressing xylA as severely as it inhibits the xylose isomerase reaction in vitro.

Isolation of xylose isomerases by sequence- and function-based screening from a soil metagenomic library

BACKGROUND

Xylose isomerase (XI) catalyses the isomerisation of xylose to xylulose in bacteria and some fungi. Currently, only a limited number of XI genes have been functionally expressed in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the microorganism of choice for lignocellulosic ethanol production. The objective of the present study was to search for novel XI genes in the vastly diverse microbial habitat present in soil. As the exploitation of microbial diversity is impaired by the ability to cultivate soil microorganisms under standard laboratory conditions, a metagenomic approach, consisting of total DNA extraction from a given environment followed by cloning of DNA into suitable vectors, was undertaken.

RESULTS

A soil metagenomic library was constructed and two screening methods based on protein sequence similarity and enzyme activity were investigated to isolate novel XI encoding genes. These two screening approaches identified the xym1 and xym2 genes, respectively. Sequence and phylogenetic analyses revealed that the genes shared 67% similarity and belonged to different bacterial groups. When xym1 and xym2 were overexpressed in a xylA-deficient Escherichia coli strain, similar growth rates to those in which the Piromyces XI gene was expressed were obtained. However, expression in S. cerevisiae resulted in only one-fourth the growth rate of that obtained for the strain expressing the Piromyces XI gene.

CONCLUSIONS

For the first time, the screening of a soil metagenomic library in E. coli resulted in the successful isolation of two active XIs. However, the discrepancy between XI enzyme performance in E. coli and S. cerevisiae suggests that future screening for XI activity from soil should be pursued directly using yeast as a host.

Bioconversion of lignocellulose-derived sugars to ethanol by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Lignocellulosic biomass from agricultural and agro-industrial residues represents one of the most important renewable resources that can be utilized for the biological production of ethanol. The yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is widely used for the commercial production of bioethanol from sucrose or starch-derived glucose. While glucose and other hexose sugars like galactose and mannose can be fermented to ethanol by S. cerevisiae, the major pentose sugars D-xylose and L-arabinose remain unutilized. Nevertheless, D-xylulose, the keto isomer of xylose, can be fermented slowly by the yeast and thus, the incorporation of functional routes for the conversion of xylose and arabinose to xylulose or xylulose-5-phosphate in Saccharomyces cerevisiae can help to improve the ethanol productivity and make the fermentation process more cost-effective. Other crucial bottlenecks in pentose fermentation include low activity of the pentose phosphate pathway enzymes and competitive inhibition of xylose and arabinose transport into the cell cytoplasm by glucose and other hexose sugars. Along with a brief introduction of the pretreatment of lignocellulose and detoxification of the hydrolysate, this review provides an updated overview of (a) the key steps involved in the uptake and metabolism of the hexose sugars: glucose, galactose, and mannose, together with the pentose sugars: xylose and arabinose, (b) various factors that play a major role in the efficient fermentation of pentose sugars along with hexose sugars, and (c) the approaches used to overcome the metabolic constraints in the production of bioethanol from lignocellulose-derived sugars by developing recombinant S. cerevisiae strains.

Parametric studies of ethanol production form xylose and other sugars by recombinant Escherichia coli

The conversion of xylose to ethanol by recombinant Escherichia coli has been investigated in pH-controlled batch fermentations. Chemical and environmental parameters were varied to determine tolerance and to define optimal conditions. Relatively high concentrations of ethanol (56 g/L) were produced from xylose with excellent efficiencies. Volumetric productivities of up to 1.4 g ethanol/L h were obtained. Productivities, yields, and final ethanol concentrations achieved from xylose with recombinant E. coli exceeded the reported values with other organisms. In addition to xylose, all other sugar constituents of biomass (glucose, mannose, arabinose, and galactose) were efficiently converted to ethanol by recombinant E. coli. Unusually low inocula equivalent to 0.033 mg of dry cell weight/L were adequate for batch fermentations. The addition of small amounts of calcium, magnesium, and ferrous ions stimulated fermentation. The inhibitory effects of toxic compounds (salts, furfural, and acetate) which are present in hemicellulose hydrolysates were also examined.

Sugar transporters in efficient utilization of mixed sugar substrates: current knowledge and outlook

There is increasing interest in production of transportation fuels and commodity chemicals from lignocellulosic biomass, most desirably through biological fermentation. Considerable effort has been expended to develop efficient biocatalysts that convert sugars derived from lignocellulose directly to value-added products. Glucose, the building block of cellulose, is the most suitable fermentation substrate for industrial microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, Corynebacterium glutamicum, and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Other sugars including xylose, arabinose, mannose, and galactose that comprise hemicellulose are generally less efficient substrates in terms of productivity and yield. Although metabolic engineering including introduction of functional pentose-metabolizing pathways into pentose-incompetent microorganisms has provided steady progress in pentose utilization, further improvements in sugar mixture utilization by microorganisms is necessary. Among a variety of issues on utilization of sugar mixtures by the microorganisms, recent studies have started to reveal the importance of sugar transporters in microbial fermentation performance. In this article, we review current knowledge on diversity and functions of sugar transporters, especially those associated with pentose uptake in microorganisms. Subsequently, we review and discuss recent studies on engineering of sugar transport as a driving force for efficient bioconversion of sugar mixtures derived from lignocellulose.

Functional expression of a bacterial xylose isomerase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In industrial fermentation processes, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is commonly used for ethanol production. However, it lacks the ability to ferment pentose sugars like d-xylose and l-arabinose. Heterologous expression of a xylose isomerase (XI) would enable yeast cells to metabolize xylose. However, many attempts to express a prokaryotic XI with high activity in S. cerevisiae have failed so far. We have screened nucleic acid databases for sequences encoding putative XIs and finally were able to clone and successfully express a highly active new kind of XI from the anaerobic bacterium Clostridium phytofermentans in S. cerevisiae. Heterologous expression of this enzyme confers on the yeast cells the ability to metabolize d-xylose and to use it as the sole carbon and energy source. The new enzyme has low sequence similarities to the XIs from Piromyces sp. strain E2 and Thermus thermophilus, which were the only two XIs previously functionally expressed in S. cerevisiae. The activity and kinetic parameters of the new enzyme are comparable to those of the Piromyces XI. Importantly, the new enzyme is far less inhibited by xylitol, which accrues as a side product during xylose fermentation. Furthermore, expression of the gene could be improved by adapting its codon usage to that of the highly expressed glycolytic genes of S. cerevisiae. Expression of the bacterial XI in an industrially employed yeast strain enabled it to grow on xylose and to ferment xylose to ethanol. Thus, our findings provide an excellent starting point for further improvement of xylose fermentation in industrial yeast strains.

A novel technique that enables efficient conduct of simultaneous isomerization and fermentation (SIF) of xylose

Of the sugars recovered from lignocellulose, D-glucose can be readily converted into ethanol by baker's or brewer's yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). However, xylose that is obtained by the hydrolysis of the hemicellulosic portion is not fermentable by the same species of yeasts. Xylose fermentation by native yeasts can be achieved via isomerization of xylose to its ketose isomer, xylulose. Isomerization with exogenous xylose isomerase (XI) occurs optimally at a pH of 7-8, whereas subsequent fermentation of xylulose to ethanol occurs at a pH of 4-5. We present a novel scheme for efficient isomerization of xylose to xylulose at conditions suitable for the fermentation by using an immobilized enzyme system capable of sustaining two different pH microenvironments in a single vessel. The proof-of-concept of the two-enzyme pellet is presented, showing conversion of xylose to xylulose even when the immobilized enzyme pellets are suspended in a bulk solution whose pH is sub-optimal for XI activity. The co-immobilized enzyme pellets may prove extremely valuable in effectively conducting "simultaneous isomerization and fermentation" (SIF) of xylose. To help further shift the equilibrium in favor of xylulose formation, sodium tetraborate (borax) was added to the isomerization solution. Binding of tetrahydroxyborate ions to xylulose effectively reduces the concentration of xylulose and leads to increased xylose isomerization. The formation of tetrahydroxyborate ions and the enhancement in xylulose production resulting from the complexation was studied at two different bulk pH values. The addition of 0.05 M borax to the isomerization solution containing our co-immobilized enzyme pellets resulted in xylose to xylulose conversion as high as 86% under pH conditions that are suboptimal for XI activity. These initial findings, which can be optimized for industrial conditions, have significant potential for increasing the yield of ethanol from xylose in an SIF approach.

Genetic improvement of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for xylose fermentation

There is considerable interest in recent years in the bioconversion of forestry and agricultural residues into ethanol and value-added chemicals. High ethanol yields from lignocellulosic residues are dependent on efficient use of all the available sugars including glucose and xylose. The well-known fermentative yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the preferred microorganism for ethanol production, but unfortunately, this yeast is unable to ferment xylose. Over the last 15 years, this yeast has been the subject of various research efforts aimed at improving its ability to utilize xylose and ferment it to ethanol. This review examines the research on S. cerevisiae strains that have been genetically modified or adapted to ferment xylose to ethanol. The current state of these efforts and areas where further research is required are identified and discussed.

Comparison of the xylose reductase-xylitol dehydrogenase and the xylose isomerase pathways for xylose fermentation by recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Background

Two heterologous pathways have been used to construct recombinant xylose-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains: i) the xylose reductase (XR) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) pathway and ii) the xylose isomerase (XI) pathway. In the present study, the Pichia stipitis XR-XDH pathway and the Piromyces XI pathway were compared in an isogenic strain background, using a laboratory host strain with genetic modifications known to improve xylose fermentation (overexpressed xylulokinase, overexpressed non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway and deletion of the aldose reductase gene GRE3). The two isogenic strains and the industrial xylose-fermenting strain TMB 3400 were studied regarding their xylose fermentation capacity in defined mineral medium and in undetoxified lignocellulosic hydrolysate.

Results

In defined mineral medium, the xylose consumption rate, the specific ethanol productivity, and the final ethanol concentration were significantly higher in the XR- and XDH-carrying strain, whereas the highest ethanol yield was achieved with the strain carrying XI. While the laboratory strains only fermented a minor fraction of glucose in the undetoxified lignocellulose hydrolysate, the industrial strain TMB 3400 fermented nearly all the sugar available. Xylitol was formed by the XR-XDH-carrying strains only in mineral medium, whereas in lignocellulose hydrolysate no xylitol formation was detected.

Conclusion

Despite by-product formation, the XR-XDH xylose utilization pathway resulted in faster ethanol production than using the best presently reported XI pathway in the strain background investigated. The need for robust industrial yeast strains for fermentation of undetoxified spruce hydrolysates was also confirmed.

Metabolic engineering for pentose utilization in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The introduction of pentose utilization pathways in baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is summarized together with metabolic engineering strategies to improve ethanolic pentose fermentation. Bacterial and fungal xylose and arabinose pathways have been expressed in S. cerevisiae but do not generally convey significant ethanolic fermentation traits to this yeast. A large number of rational metabolic engineering strategies directed among others toward sugar transport, initial pentose conversion, the pentose phosphate pathway, and the cellular redox metabolism have been exploited. The directed metabolic engineering approach has often been combined with random approaches including adaptation, mutagenesis, and hybridization. The knowledge gained about pentose fermentation in S. cerevisiae is primarily limited to genetically and physiologically well-characterized laboratory strains. The translation of this knowledge to strains performing in an industrial context is discussed.

Development of efficient xylose fermentation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: xylose isomerase as a key component

Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for ethanol production from D-xylose, an abundant sugar in plant biomass hydrolysates, has been pursued vigorously for the past 15 years. Whereas wild-type S. cerevisiae cannot ferment D-xylose, the keto-isomer D-xylulose can be metabolised slowly. Conversion of D-xylose into D-xylulose is therefore crucial in metabolic engineering of xylose fermentation by S. cerevisiae. Expression of heterologous xylose reductase and xylitol dehydrogenase does enable D-xylose utilisation, but intrinsic redox constraints of this pathway result in undesirable byproduct formation in the absence of oxygen. In contrast, expression of xylose isomerase (XI, EC 5.3.1.5), which directly interconverts D-xylose and D-xylulose, does not have these constraints. However, several problems with the functional expression of various bacterial and Archaeal XI genes have precluded successful use of XI in yeast metabolic engineering. This changed with the discovery of a fungal XI gene in Piromyces sp. E2, expression of which led to high XI activities in S. cerevisiae. When combined with over-expression of the genes of the non-oxidative pentose phosphate pathway of S. cerevisiae, the resulting strain grew anaerobically on D-xylose with a doubling time of ca. 8 h, with the same ethanol yield as on glucose. Additional evolutionary engineering was used to improve the fermentation kinetics of mixed-substrate utilisation, resulting in efficient D-xylose utilisation in synthetic media. Although industrial pilot experiments have already demonstrated high ethanol yields from the D-xylose present in plant biomass hydrolysates, strain robustness, especially with respect to tolerance to inhibitors present in hydrolysates, can still be further improved.