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Tanwee TNN, Lipscomb GL, Vailionis JL, Zhang K, Bing RG, O'Quinn HC, Poole FL, Zhang Y, Kelly RM, Adams MWW. Metabolic engineering of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii for 2,3-butanediol production from unpretreated lignocellulosic biomass and metabolic strategies for improving yields and titers. Appl Environ Microbiol 2024; 90:e0195123. [PMID: 38131671 PMCID: PMC10807448 DOI: 10.1128/aem.01951-23] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023] Open
Abstract
The platform chemical 2,3-butanediol (2,3-BDO) is used to derive products, such as 1,3-butadiene and methyl ethyl ketone, for the chemical and fuel production industries. Efficient microbial 2,3-BDO production at industrial scales has not been achieved yet for various reasons, including product inhibition to host organisms, mixed stereospecificity in product formation, and dependence on expensive substrates (i.e., glucose). In this study, we explore engineering of a 2,3-BDO pathway in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, an extremely thermophilic (optimal growth temperature = 78°C) and anaerobic bacterium that can break down crystalline cellulose and hemicellulose into fermentable C5 and C6 sugars. In addition, C. bescii grows on unpretreated plant biomass, such as switchgrass. Biosynthesis of 2,3-BDO involves three steps: two molecules of pyruvate are condensed into acetolactate; acetolactate is decarboxylated to acetoin, and finally, acetoin is reduced to 2,3-BDO. C. bescii natively produces acetoin; therefore, in order to complete the 2,3-BDO biosynthetic pathway, C. bescii was engineered to produce a secondary alcohol dehydrogenase (sADH) to catalyze the final step. Two previously characterized, thermostable sADH enzymes with high affinity for acetoin, one from a bacterium and one from an archaeon, were tested independently. When either sADH was present in C. bescii, the recombinant strains were able to produce up to 2.5-mM 2,3-BDO from crystalline cellulose and xylan and 0.2-mM 2,3-BDO directly from unpretreated switchgrass. This serves as the basis for higher yields and productivities, and to this end, limiting factors and potential genetic targets for further optimization were assessed using the genome-scale metabolic model of C. bescii.IMPORTANCELignocellulosic plant biomass as the substrate for microbial synthesis of 2,3-butanediol is one of the major keys toward cost-effective bio-based production of this chemical at an industrial scale. However, deconstruction of biomass to release the sugars for microbial growth currently requires expensive thermochemical and enzymatic pretreatments. In this study, the thermo-cellulolytic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii was successfully engineered to produce 2,3-butanediol from cellulose, xylan, and directly from unpretreated switchgrass. Genome-scale metabolic modeling of C. bescii was applied to adjust carbon and redox fluxes to maximize productivity of 2,3-butanediol, thereby revealing bottlenecks that require genetic modifications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tania N. N. Tanwee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Gina L. Lipscomb
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jason L. Vailionis
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Ryan G. Bing
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Hailey C. O'Quinn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Farris L. Poole
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Robert M. Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael W. W. Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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2
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Tjo H, Conway JM. Sugar transport in thermophiles: Bridging lignocellulose deconstruction and bioconversion. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2024; 51:kuae020. [PMID: 38866721 PMCID: PMC11212667 DOI: 10.1093/jimb/kuae020] [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: 03/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/11/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024]
Abstract
Biomass degrading thermophiles play an indispensable role in building lignocellulose-based supply chains. They operate at high temperatures to improve process efficiencies and minimize mesophilic contamination, can overcome lignocellulose recalcitrance through their native carbohydrate-active enzyme (CAZyme) inventory, and can utilize a wide range of sugar substrates. However, sugar transport in thermophiles is poorly understood and investigated, as compared to enzymatic lignocellulose deconstruction and metabolic conversion of sugars to value-added chemicals. Here, we review the general modes of sugar transport in thermophilic bacteria and archaea, covering the structural, molecular, and biophysical basis of their high-affinity sugar uptake. We also discuss recent genetic studies on sugar transporter function. With this understanding of sugar transport, we discuss strategies for how sugar transport can be engineered in thermophiles, with the potential to enhance the conversion of lignocellulosic biomass into renewable products. ONE-SENTENCE SUMMARY Sugar transport is the understudied link between extracellular biomass deconstruction and intracellular sugar metabolism in thermophilic lignocellulose bioprocessing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hansen Tjo
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Jonathan M Conway
- Department of Chemical & Biological Engineering, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Omenn-Darling Bioengineering Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- High Meadows Environmental Institute, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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3
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Li H, Lu Z, Hao MS, Kvammen A, Inman AR, Srivastava V, Bulone V, McKee LS. Family 92 carbohydrate-binding modules specific for β-1,6-glucans increase the thermostability of a bacterial chitinase. Biochimie 2023; 212:153-160. [PMID: 37121306 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.04.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2023] [Revised: 03/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/02/2023]
Abstract
In biomass-processing industries there is a need for enzymes that can withstand high temperatures. Extensive research efforts have been dedicated to finding new thermostable enzymes as well as developing new means of stabilising existing enzymes. The attachment of a stable non-catalytic domain to an enzyme can, in some instances, protect a biocatalyst from thermal denaturation. Carbohydrate-binding modules (CBMs) are non-catalytic domains typically found appended to biomass-degrading or modifying enzymes, such as glycoside hydrolases (GHs). Most often, CBMs interact with the same polysaccharide as their enzyme partners, leading to an enhanced reaction rate via the promotion of enzyme-substrate interactions. Contradictory to this general concept, we show an example of a chitin-degrading enzyme from GH family 18 that is appended to two CBM domains from family 92, both of which bind preferentially to the non-substrate polysaccharide β-1,6-glucan. During chitin hydrolysis, the CBMs do not contribute to enzyme-substrate interactions but instead confer a 10-15 °C increase in enzyme thermal stability. We propose that CBM92 domains may have a natural enzyme stabilisation role in some cases, which may be relevant to enzyme design for high-temperature applications in biorefinery.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Li
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Zijia Lu
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Meng-Shu Hao
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Alma Kvammen
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Annie R Inman
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vaibhav Srivastava
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Vincent Bulone
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden; College of Medicine & Public Health, Flinders University, Bedford Park Campus, Sturt Road, SA, 5042, Australia
| | - Lauren S McKee
- Division of Glycoscience, Department of Chemistry, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, AlbaNova University Centre, 106 91, Stockholm, Sweden; Wallenberg Wood Science Center, Teknikringen 56-58, 100 44, Stockholm, Sweden.
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Lipscomb GL, Crowley AT, Nguyen DMN, Keller MW, O’Quinn HC, Tanwee TNN, Vailionis JL, Zhang K, Zhang Y, Kelly RM, Adams MWW. Manipulating Fermentation Pathways in the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus for Ethanol Production up to 95°C Driven by Carbon Monoxide Oxidation. Appl Environ Microbiol 2023; 89:e0001223. [PMID: 37162365 PMCID: PMC10304873 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00012-23] [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: 01/04/2023] [Accepted: 04/09/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Genetic engineering of hyperthermophilic organisms for the production of fuels and other useful chemicals is an emerging biotechnological opportunity. In particular, for volatile organic compounds such as ethanol, fermentation at high temperatures could allow for straightforward separation by direct distillation. Currently, the upper growth temperature limit for native ethanol producers is 72°C in the bacterium Thermoanaerobacter ethanolicus JW200, and the highest temperature for heterologously-engineered bioethanol production was recently demonstrated at 85°C in the archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. Here, we describe an engineered strain of P. furiosus that synthesizes ethanol at 95°C, utilizing a homologously-expressed native alcohol dehydrogenase, termed AdhF. Ethanol biosynthesis was compared at 75°C and 95°C with various engineered strains. At lower temperatures, the acetaldehyde substrate for AdhF is most likely produced from acetate by aldehyde ferredoxin oxidoreductase (AOR). At higher temperatures, the effect of AOR on ethanol production is negligible, suggesting that acetaldehyde is produced by pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase (POR) via oxidative decarboxylation of pyruvate, a reaction known to occur only at higher temperatures. Heterologous expression of a carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complex in the AdhF overexpression strain enabled it to use CO as a source of energy, leading to increased ethanol production. A genome reconstruction model for P. furiosus was developed to guide metabolic engineering strategies and understand outcomes. This work opens the door to the potential for 'bioreactive distillation' since fermentation can be performed well above the normal boiling point of ethanol. IMPORTANCE Previously, the highest temperature for biological ethanol production was 85°C. Here, we have engineered ethanol production at 95°C by the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus. Using mutant strains, we showed that ethanol production occurs by different pathways at 75°C and 95°C. In addition, by heterologous expression of a carbon monoxide dehydrogenase complex, ethanol production by this organism was driven by the oxidation of carbon monoxide. A genome reconstruction model for P. furiosus was developed to guide metabolic engineering strategies and understand outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gina L. Lipscomb
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Alexander T. Crowley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Diep M. N. Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Matthew W. Keller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Hailey C. O’Quinn
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Tania N. N. Tanwee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Jason L. Vailionis
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Ke Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Robert M. Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael W. W. Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
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Kazemi Shariat Panahi H, Dehhaghi M, Dehhaghi S, Guillemin GJ, Lam SS, Aghbashlo M, Tabatabaei M. Engineered bacteria for valorizing lignocellulosic biomass into bioethanol. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY 2022; 344:126212. [PMID: 34715341 DOI: 10.1016/j.biortech.2021.126212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2021] [Revised: 10/17/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Appropriate bioprocessing of lignocellulosic materials into ethanol could address the world's insatiable appetite for energy while mitigating greenhouse gases. Bioethanol is an ideal gasoline extender and is widely used in many countries in blended form with gasoline at specific ratios to improve fuel characteristics and engine performance. Although the bioethanol production industry has long been operational, finding a suitable microbial agent for the efficient conversion of lignocelluloses is still an active field of study. Among available microbial candidates, engineered bacteria may be promising ethanol producers while may show other desired traits such as thermophilic nature and high ethanol tolerance. This review provides the current knowledge on the introduction, overexpression, and deletion of the genes that have been performed in bacterial hosts to achieve higher ethanol yield, production rate and titer, and tolerance. The constraints and possible solutions and economic feasibility of the processes utilizing such engineered strains are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hamed Kazemi Shariat Panahi
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Forest Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450002, China; Neuroinflammation Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia; Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam), Terengganu, Malaysia
| | - Mona Dehhaghi
- Neuroinflammation Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia; Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam), Terengganu, Malaysia; PANDIS.org, Australia
| | - Somayeh Dehhaghi
- Department of Agricultural Extension and Education, Tarbiat Modares University, Tehran 14115-336, Iran
| | - Gilles J Guillemin
- Neuroinflammation Group, Department of Biomedical Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW, Australia; PANDIS.org, Australia
| | - Su Shiung Lam
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Forest Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450002, China; Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia.
| | - Mortaza Aghbashlo
- Department of Mechanical Engineering of Agricultural Machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of Tehran, Karaj, Iran
| | - Meisam Tabatabaei
- Henan Province Engineering Research Center for Forest Biomass Value-added Products, School of Forestry, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, Henan, 450002, China; Biofuel Research Team (BRTeam), Terengganu, Malaysia; Higher Institution Centre of Excellence (HICoE), Institute of Tropical Aquaculture and Fisheries (AKUATROP), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, 21030 Kuala Nerus, Terengganu, Malaysia; Microbial Biotechnology Department, Agricultural Biotechnology Research Institute of Iran (ABRII), Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization (AREEO), Karaj, Iran
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Biorefinery Gets Hot: Thermophilic Enzymes and Microorganisms for Second-Generation Bioethanol Production. Processes (Basel) 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/pr9091583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
To mitigate the current global energy and the environmental crisis, biofuels such as bioethanol have progressively gained attention from both scientific and industrial perspectives. However, at present, commercialized bioethanol is mainly derived from edible crops, thus raising serious concerns given its competition with feed production. For this reason, lignocellulosic biomasses (LCBs) have been recognized as important alternatives for bioethanol production. Because LCBs supply is sustainable, abundant, widespread, and cheap, LCBs-derived bioethanol currently represents one of the most viable solutions to meet the global demand for liquid fuel. However, the cost-effective conversion of LCBs into ethanol remains a challenge and its implementation has been hampered by several bottlenecks that must still be tackled. Among other factors related to the challenging and variable nature of LCBs, we highlight: (i) energy-demanding pretreatments, (ii) expensive hydrolytic enzyme blends, and (iii) the need for microorganisms that can ferment mixed sugars. In this regard, thermophiles represent valuable tools to overcome some of these limitations. Thus, the aim of this review is to provide an overview of the state-of-the-art technologies involved, such as the use of thermophilic enzymes and microorganisms in industrial-relevant conditions, and to propose possible means to implement thermophiles into second-generation ethanol biorefineries that are already in operation.
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7
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Zhang K, Zhao W, Rodionov DA, Rubinstein GM, Nguyen DN, Tanwee TNN, Crosby J, Bing RG, Kelly RM, Adams MWW, Zhang Y. Genome-Scale Metabolic Model of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii Reveals Optimal Metabolic Engineering Strategies for Bio-based Chemical Production. mSystems 2021; 6:e0135120. [PMID: 34060912 PMCID: PMC8269263 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.01351-20] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/04/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Metabolic modeling was used to examine potential bottlenecks that could be encountered for metabolic engineering of the cellulolytic extreme thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor bescii to produce bio-based chemicals from plant biomass. The model utilizes subsystems-based genome annotation, targeted reconstruction of carbohydrate utilization pathways, and biochemical and physiological experimental validations. Specifically, carbohydrate transport and utilization pathways involving 160 genes and their corresponding functions were incorporated, representing the utilization of C5/C6 monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polysaccharides such as cellulose and xylan. To illustrate its utility, the model predicted that optimal production from biomass-based sugars of the model product, ethanol, was driven by ATP production, redox balancing, and proton translocation, mediated through the interplay of an ATP synthase, a membrane-bound hydrogenase, a bifurcating hydrogenase, and a bifurcating NAD- and NADP-dependent oxidoreductase. These mechanistic insights guided the design and optimization of new engineering strategies for product optimization, which were subsequently tested in the C. bescii model, showing a nearly 2-fold increase in ethanol yields. The C. bescii model provides a useful platform for investigating the potential redox controls that mediate the carbon and energy flows in metabolism and sets the stage for future design of engineering strategies aiming at optimizing the production of ethanol and other bio-based chemicals. IMPORTANCE The extremely thermophilic cellulolytic bacterium, Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, degrades plant biomass at high temperatures without any pretreatments and can serve as a strategic platform for industrial applications. The metabolic engineering of C. bescii, however, faces potential bottlenecks in bio-based chemical productions. By simulating the optimal ethanol production, a complex interplay between redox balancing and the carbon and energy flow was revealed using a C. bescii genome-scale metabolic model. New engineering strategies were designed based on an improved mechanistic understanding of the C. bescii metabolism, and the new designs were modeled under different genetic backgrounds to identify optimal strategies. The C. bescii model provided useful insights into the metabolic controls of this organism thereby opening up prospects for optimizing production of a wide range of bio-based chemicals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ke Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Weishu Zhao
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
| | - Dmitry A. Rodionov
- Sanford-Burnham-Prebys Medical Discovery Institute, La Jolla, California, USA
- A.A. Kharkevich Institute for Information Transmission Problems, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Gabriel M. Rubinstein
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Diep N. Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Tania N. N. Tanwee
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - James Crosby
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Ryan G. Bing
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Robert M. Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA
| | - Michael W. W. Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA
| | - Ying Zhang
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, College of the Environment and Life Sciences, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, Rhode Island, USA
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Strategies towards Reduction of Cellulases Consumption: Debottlenecking the Economics of Lignocellulosics Valorization Processes. POLYSACCHARIDES 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/polysaccharides2020020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lignocellulosic residues have been receiving growing interest as a promising source of polysaccharides, which can be converted into a variety of compounds, ranging from biofuels to bioplastics. Most of these can replace equivalent products traditionally originated from petroleum, hence representing an important environmental advantage. Lignocellulosic materials are theoretically unlimited, cheaper and may not compete with food crops. However, the conversion of these materials to simpler sugars usually requires cellulolytic enzymes. Being still associated with a high cost of production, cellulases are commonly considered as one of the main obstacles in the economic valorization of lignocellulosics. This work provides a brief overview of some of the most studied strategies that can allow an important reduction of cellulases consumption, hence improving the economy of lignocellulosics conversion. Cellulases recycling is initially discussed regarding the main processes to recover active enzymes and the most important factors that may affect enzyme recyclability. Similarly, the potential of enzyme immobilization is analyzed with a special focus on the contributions that some elements of the process can offer for prolonged times of operation and improved enzyme stability and robustness. Finally, the emergent concept of consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) is also described in the particular context of a potential reduction of cellulases consumption.
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9
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Wang Q, Sha C, Wang H, Ma K, Wiegle J, Abomohra AEF, Shao W. A novel bifunctional aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzing reduction of acetyl-CoA to ethanol at temperatures up to 95 °C. Sci Rep 2021; 11:1050. [PMID: 33441766 PMCID: PMC7806712 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-80159-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/19/2020] [Accepted: 12/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperthermophilic Thermotoga spp. are excellent candidates for the biosynthesis of cellulosic ethanol producing strains because they can grow optimally at 80 °C with ability to degrade and utilize cellulosic biomass. In T. neapolitana (Tne), a putative iron-containing alcohol dehydrogenase was, for the first time, revealed to be a bifunctional aldehyde/alcohol dehydrogenase (Fe-AAdh) that catalyzed both reactions from acetyl-coenzyme A (ac-CoA) to acetaldehyde (ac-ald), and from ac-ald to ethanol, while the putative aldehyde dehydrogenase (Aldh) exhibited only CoA-independent activity that oxidizes ac-ald to acetic acid. The biochemical properties of Fe-AAdh were characterized, and bioinformatics were analyzed. Fe-AAdh exhibited the highest activities for the reductions of ac-CoA and acetaldehyde at 80-85 °C, pH 7.54, and had a 1-h half-life at about 92 °C. The Fe-AAdh gene is highly conserved in Thermotoga spp., Pyrococcus furiosus and Thermococcus kodakarensis, indicating the existence of a fermentation pathway from ac-CoA to ethanol via acetaldehyde as the intermediate in hyperthermophiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Wang
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Biofuels Institute, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Chong Sha
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Biofuels Institute, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Hongcheng Wang
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Biofuels Institute, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, China
| | - Kesen Ma
- Department of Biology, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, ON, N2L 3G1, Canada
| | - Juergen Wiegle
- Department of Microbiology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Abd El-Fatah Abomohra
- Department of Environmental Engineering, School of Architecture and Civil Engineering, Chengdu University, Chengdu, 610106, China. .,Botany Department, Faculty of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, 31527, Egypt.
| | - Weilan Shao
- School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Biofuels Institute, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, 212013, Jiangsu, China.
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10
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Sharma S, Kundu A, Basu S, Shetti NP, Aminabhavi TM. Sustainable environmental management and related biofuel technologies. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2020; 273:111096. [PMID: 32734892 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2020] [Revised: 07/07/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Environmental sustainability criteria and rising energy demands, exhaustion of conventional resources of energy followed by environmental degradation due to abrupt climate changes have shifted the attention of scientists to seek renewable sources of green and clean energy for sustainable development. Bioenergy is an excellent alternative since it can be applied for several energy-requirements after utilizing suitable conversion methodology. This review elucidates all aspects of biofuels (bioethanol, biodiesel, and butanol) and their sustainability criteria. The principal focus is on the latest developments in biofuel production chiefly stressing on the role of nanotechnology. A plethora of investigations regarding the emerging techniques for process improvement like integration methods, less energy-intensive distillation techniques, and bioengineering of microorganisms are discussed. This can assist in making biofuel-production in a real-world market more economically and environmentally viable.
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Affiliation(s)
- Surbhi Sharma
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, 147004, India
| | - Aayushi Kundu
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, 147004, India; Affiliate Faculty-TIET-Virginia Tech Center of Excellence in Emerging Materials, India
| | - Soumen Basu
- School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Thapar Institute of Engineering and Technology, Patiala, 147004, India; Affiliate Faculty-TIET-Virginia Tech Center of Excellence in Emerging Materials, India.
| | - Nagaraj P Shetti
- Center for Electrochemical Science and Materials, Department of Chemistry, K.L.E. Institute of Technology, Hubballi, 580 027, India.
| | - Tejraj M Aminabhavi
- Pharmaceutical Engineering, SET's College of Pharmacy, Dharwad, 580 002, Karnataka, India.
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Rubinstein GM, Lipscomb GL, Williams-Rhaesa AM, Schut GJ, Kelly RM, Adams MWW. Engineering the cellulolytic extreme thermophile Caldicellulosiruptor bescii to reduce carboxylic acids to alcohols using plant biomass as the energy source. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2020; 47:585-597. [PMID: 32783103 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-020-02299-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 07/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
Caldicellulosiruptor bescii is the most thermophilic cellulolytic organism yet identified (Topt 78 °C). It grows on untreated plant biomass and has an established genetic system thereby making it a promising microbial platform for lignocellulose conversion to bio-products. Here, we investigated the ability of engineered C. bescii to generate alcohols from carboxylic acids. Expression of aldehyde ferredoxin oxidoreductase (aor from Pyrococcus furiosus) and alcohol dehydrogenase (adhA from Thermoanaerobacter sp. X514) enabled C. bescii to generate ethanol from crystalline cellulose and from biomass by reducing the acetate produced by fermentation. Deletion of lactate dehydrogenase in a strain expressing the AOR-Adh pathway increased ethanol production. Engineered strains also converted exogenously supplied organic acids (isobutyrate and n-caproate) to the corresponding alcohol (isobutanol and hexanol) using both crystalline cellulose and switchgrass as sources of reductant for alcohol production. This is the first instance of an acid to alcohol conversion pathway in a cellulolytic microbe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel M Rubinstein
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Gina L Lipscomb
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | | | - Gerrit J Schut
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Robert M Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Michael W W Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.
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Dadwal A, Sharma S, Satyanarayana T. Progress in Ameliorating Beneficial Characteristics of Microbial Cellulases by Genetic Engineering Approaches for Cellulose Saccharification. Front Microbiol 2020; 11:1387. [PMID: 32670240 PMCID: PMC7327088 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2020] [Accepted: 05/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Lignocellulosic biomass is a renewable and sustainable energy source. Cellulases are the enzymes that cleave β-1, 4-glycosidic linkages in cellulose to liberate sugars that can be fermented to ethanol, butanol, and other products. Low enzyme activity and yield, and thermostability are, however, some of the limitations posing hurdles in saccharification of lignocellulosic residues. Recent advancements in synthetic and systems biology have generated immense interest in metabolic and genetic engineering that has led to the development of sustainable technology for saccharification of lignocellulosics in the last couple of decades. There have been several attempts in applying genetic engineering in the production of a repertoire of cellulases at a low cost with a high biomass saccharification. A diverse range of cellulases are produced by different microbes, some of which are being engineered to evolve robust cellulases. This review summarizes various successful genetic engineering strategies employed for improving cellulase kinetics and cellulolytic efficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anica Dadwal
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, New Delhi, India
| | - Shilpa Sharma
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, New Delhi, India
| | - Tulasi Satyanarayana
- Department of Biological Sciences and Engineering, Netaji Subhas University of Technology, New Delhi, India
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Srivastava RK, Akhtar N, Verma M, Imandi SB. Primary metabolites from overproducing microbial system using sustainable substrates. Biotechnol Appl Biochem 2020; 67:852-874. [PMID: 32294277 DOI: 10.1002/bab.1927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Accepted: 04/12/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Primary (or secondary) metabolites are produced by animals, plants, or microbial cell systems either intracellularly or extracellularly. Production capabilities of microbial cell systems for many types of primary metabolites have been exploited at a commercial scale. But the high production cost of metabolites is a big challenge for most of the bioprocess industries and commercial production needs to be achieved. This issue can be solved to some extent by screening and developing the engineered microbial systems via reconstruction of the genome-scale metabolic model. The predicted genetic modification is applied for an increased flux in biosynthesis pathways toward the desired product. Wherein the resulting microbial strain is capable of converting a large amount of carbon substrate to the expected product with minimum by-product formation in the optimal operating conditions. Metabolic engineering efforts have also resulted in significant improvement of metabolite yields, depending on the nature of the products, microbial cell factory modification, and the types of substrate used. The objective of this review is to comprehend the state of art for the production of various primary metabolites by microbial strains system, focusing on the selection of efficient strain and genetic or pathway modifications, applied during strain engineering.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh K Srivastava
- Department of Biotechnology, GIT, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Gandhi Nagar Campus, Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam, India
| | - Nasim Akhtar
- Department of Biotechnology, GIT, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Gandhi Nagar Campus, Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam, India
| | - Malkhey Verma
- Departments of Biochemistry and Microbial Sciences, Central University of Punjab, Bathinda, India
| | - Sarat Babu Imandi
- Department of Biotechnology, GIT, GITAM (Deemed to be University), Gandhi Nagar Campus, Rushikonda, Visakhapatnam, India
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Consolidated bio-saccharification: Leading lignocellulose bioconversion into the real world. Biotechnol Adv 2020; 40:107535. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biotechadv.2020.107535] [Citation(s) in RCA: 66] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2019] [Revised: 02/03/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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15
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Sander KB, Chung D, Klingeman DM, Giannone RJ, Rodriguez M, Whitham J, Hettich RL, Davison BH, Westpheling J, Brown SD. Gene targets for engineering osmotolerance in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2020; 13:50. [PMID: 32190115 PMCID: PMC7071700 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-020-01690-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2019] [Accepted: 02/27/2020] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, a promising biocatalyst being developed for use in consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulosic materials to ethanol, grows poorly and has reduced conversion at elevated medium osmolarities. Increasing tolerance to elevated fermentation osmolarities is desired to enable performance necessary of a consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) biocatalyst. RESULTS Two strains of C. bescii showing growth phenotypes in elevated osmolarity conditions were identified. The first strain, ORCB001, carried a deletion of the FapR fatty acid biosynthesis and malonyl-CoA metabolism repressor and had a severe growth defect when grown in high-osmolarity conditions-introduced as the addition of either ethanol, NaCl, glycerol, or glucose to growth media. The second strain, ORCB002, displayed a growth rate over three times higher than its genetic parent when grown in high-osmolarity medium. Unexpectedly, a genetic complement ORCB002 exhibited improved growth, failing to revert the observed phenotype, and suggesting that mutations other than the deleted transcription factor (the fruR/cra gene) are responsible for the growth phenotype observed in ORCB002. Genome resequencing identified several other genomic alterations (three deleted regions, three substitution mutations, one silent mutation, and one frameshift mutation), which may be responsible for the observed increase in osmolarity tolerance in the fruR/cra-deficient strain, including a substitution mutation in dnaK, a gene previously implicated in osmoresistance in bacteria. Differential expression analysis and transcription factor binding site inference indicates that FapR negatively regulates malonyl-CoA and fatty acid biosynthesis, as it does in many other bacteria. FruR/Cra regulates neighboring fructose metabolism genes, as well as other genes in global manner. CONCLUSIONS Two systems able to effect tolerance to elevated osmolarities in C. bescii are identified. The first is fatty acid biosynthesis. The other is likely the result of one or more unintended, secondary mutations present in another transcription factor deletion strain. Though the locus/loci and mechanism(s) responsible remain unknown, candidate mutations are identified, including a mutation in the dnaK chaperone coding sequence. These results illustrate both the promise of targeted regulatory manipulation for osmotolerance (in the case of fapR) and the challenges (in the case of fruR/cra).
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle B. Sander
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA
- Present Address: Department of Bioengineering, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Daehwan Chung
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
- Present Address: National Bioenergy Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO USA
| | - Dawn M. Klingeman
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Richard J. Giannone
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Miguel Rodriguez
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Jason Whitham
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Present Address: Becton Dickinson Diagnostics, Sparks Glencoe, MD USA
| | - Robert L. Hettich
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37830 USA
| | - Brian H. Davison
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Janet Westpheling
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
| | - Steven D. Brown
- BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and Education, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN USA
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
- Present Address: LanzaTech, Skokie, IL USA
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Blumer-Schuette SE. Insights into Thermophilic Plant Biomass Hydrolysis from Caldicellulosiruptor Systems Biology. Microorganisms 2020; 8:E385. [PMID: 32164310 PMCID: PMC7142884 DOI: 10.3390/microorganisms8030385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2020] [Revised: 03/06/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Plant polysaccharides continue to serve as a promising feedstock for bioproduct fermentation. However, the recalcitrant nature of plant biomass requires certain key enzymes, including cellobiohydrolases, for efficient solubilization of polysaccharides. Thermostable carbohydrate-active enzymes are sought for their stability and tolerance to other process parameters. Plant biomass degrading microbes found in biotopes like geothermally heated water sources, compost piles, and thermophilic digesters are a common source of thermostable enzymes. While traditional thermophilic enzyme discovery first focused on microbe isolation followed by functional characterization, metagenomic sequences are negating the initial need for species isolation. Here, we summarize the current state of knowledge about the extremely thermophilic genus Caldicellulosiruptor, including genomic and metagenomic analyses in addition to recent breakthroughs in enzymology and genetic manipulation of the genus. Ten years after completing the first Caldicellulosiruptor genome sequence, the tools required for systems biology of this non-model environmental microorganism are in place.
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Abstract
Thermophilic organisms hold great potential for industry due to their numerous advantages in biotechnological applications such as higher reaction rate, higher substrate loading, decreased susceptibility to reaction contamination, energy savings in industrial fermentations, and ability to express thermostable proteins that can be utilized in many important industrial processes. Bioprospecting for thermophiles will continue to reveal new enzymatic and metabolic paradigms with industrial applicability. In order to translate these paradigms to production scale, routine methods for microbial genetic engineering are needed, yet remain to be developed in many newly isolated thermophiles. Major challenges and recent developments in the establishment of reliable genetic systems in thermophiles are discussed. Here, we use a hyperthermophilic, cellulolytic bacterium, Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, as a case study to demonstrate the development of a genetic system for an industrially useful thermophile, describing in detail methods for transformation, genetic tool utilization, and chromosomal modification using targeted gene deletion and insertion techniques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daehwan Chung
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.
| | - Nicholas S Sarai
- Division of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA
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Genomic and physiological analyses reveal that extremely thermophilic Caldicellulosiruptor changbaiensis deploys uncommon cellulose attachment mechanisms. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2019; 46:1251-1263. [PMID: 31392469 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-019-02222-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2019] [Accepted: 08/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The genus Caldicellulosiruptor is comprised of extremely thermophilic, heterotrophic anaerobes that degrade plant biomass using modular, multifunctional enzymes. Prior pangenome analyses determined that this genus is genetically diverse, with the current pangenome remaining open, meaning that new genes are expected with each additional genome sequence added. Given the high biodiversity observed among the genus Caldicellulosiruptor, we have sequenced and added a 14th species, Caldicellulosiruptor changbaiensis, to the pangenome. The pangenome now includes 3791 ortholog clusters, 120 of which are unique to C. changbaiensis and may be involved in plant biomass degradation. Comparisons between C. changbaiensis and Caldicellulosiruptor bescii on the basis of growth kinetics, cellulose solubilization and cell attachment to polysaccharides highlighted physiological differences between the two species which are supported by their respective gene inventories. Most significantly, these comparisons indicated that C. changbaiensis possesses uncommon cellulose attachment mechanisms not observed among the other strongly cellulolytic members of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor.
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19
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Lee LL, Crosby JR, Rubinstein GM, Laemthong T, Bing RG, Straub CT, Adams MW, Kelly RM. The biology and biotechnology of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor: recent developments in ‘Caldi World’. Extremophiles 2019; 24:1-15. [DOI: 10.1007/s00792-019-01116-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 07/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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Sander K, Yeary M, Mahan K, Whitham J, Giannone RJ, Brown SD, Rodriguez M, Graham DE, Hankoua B. Expression of benzoyl-CoA metabolism genes in the lignocellulolytic host Caldicellulosiruptor bescii. AMB Express 2019; 9:59. [PMID: 31055784 PMCID: PMC6500515 DOI: 10.1186/s13568-019-0783-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2018] [Accepted: 04/25/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Genes responsible for the anaerobic catabolism of benzoate in the thermophilic archaeon Ferroglobus placidus were expressed in the thermophilic lignocellulose-degrading bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, as a first step to engineering this bacterium to degrade this lignin metabolite. The benzoyl-CoA ligase gene was expressed individually, and in combination with benzoyl-CoA reductase and a putative benzoate transporter. This effort also assessed heterologous expression from a synthetically designed operon whereby each coding sequence was proceeded by a unique C. bescii ribosome binding site sequence. The F. placidicus benzoyl-CoA ligase gene was expressed in C. bescii to produce a full-length protein with catalytic activity. A synthetic 6-gene operon encoding three enzymes involved in benzoate degradation was also successfully expressed in C. bescii as determined by RNA analysis, though the protein products of only four of the genes were detected. The discord between the mRNA and protein measurements, especially considering the two genes lacking apparent protein abundance, suggests variable effectiveness of the ribosome binding site sequences utilized in this synthetic operon. The engineered strains did not degrade benzoate. Although the heterologously expressed gene encoding benzoyl-CoA ligase yielded a protein that was catalytically active in vitro, expression in C. bescii of six benzoate catabolism-related genes combined in a synthetic operon yielded mixed results. More effective expression and in vivo activity might be brought about by validating and using different ribosome binding sites and different promoters. Expressing additional pathway components may alleviate any pathway inhibition and enhance benzoyl-CoA reductase activity.
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21
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Sander K, Chung D, Hyatt D, Westpheling J, Klingeman DM, Rodriguez M, Engle NL, Tschaplinski TJ, Davison BH, Brown SD. Rex in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii: Novel regulon members and its effect on the production of ethanol and overflow metabolites. Microbiologyopen 2019; 8:e00639. [PMID: 29797457 PMCID: PMC6391272 DOI: 10.1002/mbo3.639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 03/03/2018] [Accepted: 03/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Rex is a global redox-sensing transcription factor that senses and responds to the intracellular [NADH]/[NAD+ ] ratio to regulate genes for central metabolism, and a variety of metabolic processes in Gram-positive bacteria. We decipher and validate four new members of the Rex regulon in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii; a gene encoding a class V aminotransferase, the HydG FeFe Hydrogenase maturation protein, an oxidoreductase, and a gene encoding a hypothetical protein. Structural genes for the NiFe and FeFe hydrogenases, pyruvate:ferredoxin oxidoreductase, as well as the rex gene itself are also members of this regulon, as has been predicted previously in different organisms. A C. bescii rex deletion strain constructed in an ethanol-producing strain made 54% more ethanol (0.16 mmol/L) than its genetic parent after 36 hr of fermentation, though only under nitrogen limited conditions. Metabolomic interrogation shows this rex-deficient ethanol-producing strain synthesizes other reduced overflow metabolism products likely in response to more reduced intracellular redox conditions and the accumulation of pyruvate. These results suggest ethanol production is strongly dependent on the native intracellular redox state in C. bescii, and highlight the combined promise of using this gene and manipulation of culture conditions to yield strains capable of producing ethanol at higher yields and final titer.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle Sander
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennessee
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and EducationUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennessee
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
| | - Daehwan Chung
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Department of GeneticsUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
- Present address:
National Renewable Energy LaboratoryGoldenCO
| | - Doug Hyatt
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
| | - Janet Westpheling
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Department of GeneticsUniversity of GeorgiaAthensGeorgia
| | - Dawn M. Klingeman
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
| | - Miguel Rodriguez
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
| | - Nancy L. Engle
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
| | - Timothy J. Tschaplinski
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
| | - Brian H. Davison
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular EngineeringUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennessee
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and EducationUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennessee
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
| | - Steven D. Brown
- Bredesen Center for Interdisciplinary Graduate Research and EducationUniversity of TennesseeKnoxvilleTennessee
- BioEnergy Sciences CenterOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Biosciences DivisionOak Ridge National LaboratoryOak RidgeTennessee
- Present address:
LanzaTechSkokieIL
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Thomas B, Raj MC, B AK, H RM, Joy J, Moores A, Drisko GL, Sanchez C. Nanocellulose, a Versatile Green Platform: From Biosources to Materials and Their Applications. Chem Rev 2018; 118:11575-11625. [PMID: 30403346 DOI: 10.1021/acs.chemrev.7b00627] [Citation(s) in RCA: 542] [Impact Index Per Article: 90.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
With increasing environmental and ecological concerns due to the use of petroleum-based chemicals and products, the synthesis of fine chemicals and functional materials from natural resources is of great public value. Nanocellulose may prove to be one of the most promising green materials of modern times due to its intrinsic properties, renewability, and abundance. In this review, we present nanocellulose-based materials from sourcing, synthesis, and surface modification of nanocellulose, to materials formation and applications. Nanocellulose can be sourced from biomass, plants, or bacteria, relying on fairly simple, scalable, and efficient isolation techniques. Mechanical, chemical, and enzymatic treatments, or a combination of these, can be used to extract nanocellulose from natural sources. The properties of nanocellulose are dependent on the source, the isolation technique, and potential subsequent surface transformations. Nanocellulose surface modification techniques are typically used to introduce either charged or hydrophobic moieties, and include amidation, esterification, etherification, silylation, polymerization, urethanization, sulfonation, and phosphorylation. Nanocellulose has excellent strength, high Young's modulus, biocompatibility, and tunable self-assembly, thixotropic, and photonic properties, which are essential for the applications of this material. Nanocellulose participates in the fabrication of a large range of nanomaterials and nanocomposites, including those based on polymers, metals, metal oxides, and carbon. In particular, nanocellulose complements organic-based materials, where it imparts its mechanical properties to the composite. Nanocellulose is a promising material whenever material strength, flexibility, and/or specific nanostructuration are required. Applications include functional paper, optoelectronics, and antibacterial coatings, packaging, mechanically reinforced polymer composites, tissue scaffolds, drug delivery, biosensors, energy storage, catalysis, environmental remediation, and electrochemically controlled separation. Phosphorylated nanocellulose is a particularly interesting material, spanning a surprising set of applications in various dimensions including bone scaffolds, adsorbents, and flame retardants and as a support for the heterogenization of homogeneous catalysts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bejoy Thomas
- Department of Chemistry , Newman College, Thodupuzha , 685 585 Thodupuzha , Kerala , India
| | - Midhun C Raj
- Department of Chemistry , Newman College, Thodupuzha , 685 585 Thodupuzha , Kerala , India
| | - Athira K B
- Department of Chemistry , Newman College, Thodupuzha , 685 585 Thodupuzha , Kerala , India
| | - Rubiyah M H
- Department of Chemistry , Newman College, Thodupuzha , 685 585 Thodupuzha , Kerala , India
| | - Jithin Joy
- Department of Chemistry , Newman College, Thodupuzha , 685 585 Thodupuzha , Kerala , India.,International and Interuniversity Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IIUCNN), Mahatma Gandhi University , 686 560 Kottayam , Kerala , India
| | - Audrey Moores
- Centre in Green Chemistry and Catalysis, Department of Chemistry , McGill University , 801 Sherbrooke Street West , Montreal , Quebec H3A 0B8 , Canada
| | - Glenna L Drisko
- CNRS, ICMCB, Université de Bordeaux, UMR 5026 , F-33600 Pessac , France
| | - Clément Sanchez
- UPMC Université Paris 06, CNRS, UMR 7574 Laboratoire Chimie de la Matière Condensée de Paris, Collège de France , 11 place, Marcelin Berthelot , F-75005 , Paris , France
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23
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Sammond DW, Kastelowitz N, Donohoe BS, Alahuhta M, Lunin VV, Chung D, Sarai NS, Yin H, Mittal A, Himmel ME, Guss AM, Bomble YJ. An iterative computational design approach to increase the thermal endurance of a mesophilic enzyme. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2018; 11:189. [PMID: 30002729 PMCID: PMC6036693 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-018-1178-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2018] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Strategies for maximizing the microbial production of bio-based chemicals and fuels include eliminating branched points to streamline metabolic pathways. While this is often achieved by removing key enzymes, the introduction of nonnative enzymes can provide metabolic shortcuts, bypassing branched points to decrease the production of undesired side-products. Pyruvate decarboxylase (PDC) can provide such a shortcut in industrially promising thermophilic organisms; yet to date, this enzyme has not been found in any thermophilic organism. Incorporating nonnative enzymes into host organisms can be challenging in cases such as this, where the enzyme has evolved in a very different environment from that of the host. RESULTS In this study, we use computational protein design to engineer the Zymomonas mobilis PDC to resist thermal denaturation at the growth temperature of a thermophilic host. We generate thirteen PDC variants using the Rosetta protein design software. We measure thermal stability of the wild-type PDC and PDC variants using circular dichroism. We then measure and compare enzyme endurance for wild-type PDC with the PDC variants at an elevated temperature of 60 °C (thermal endurance) using differential interference contrast imaging. CONCLUSIONS We find that increases in melting temperature (Tm) do not directly correlate with increases in thermal endurance at 60 °C. We also do not find evidence that any individual mutation or design approach is the major contributor to the most thermostable PDC variant. Rather, remarkable cooperativity among sixteen thermostabilizing mutations is key to rationally designing a PDC with significantly enhanced thermal endurance. These results suggest a generalizable iterative computational protein design approach to improve thermal stability and endurance of target enzymes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Deanne W. Sammond
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Noah Kastelowitz
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
| | - Bryon S. Donohoe
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Markus Alahuhta
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Vladimir V. Lunin
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Daehwan Chung
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Nicholas S. Sarai
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Hang Yin
- Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry and the BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309 USA
| | - Ashutosh Mittal
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Michael E. Himmel
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
| | - Adam M. Guss
- Biosciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN 37831 USA
| | - Yannick J. Bomble
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 15013 Denver West Parkway, Golden, CO 80401 USA
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Williams-Rhaesa AM, Rubinstein GM, Scott IM, Lipscomb GL, Poole Ii FL, Kelly RM, Adams MWW. Engineering redox-balanced ethanol production in the cellulolytic and extremely thermophilic bacterium, Caldicellulosiruptor bescii. Metab Eng Commun 2018; 7:e00073. [PMID: 30009131 PMCID: PMC6041484 DOI: 10.1016/j.mec.2018.e00073] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2017] [Revised: 05/16/2018] [Accepted: 05/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Caldicellulosiruptor bescii is an extremely thermophilic cellulolytic bacterium with great potential for consolidated bioprocessing of renewable plant biomass. Since it does not natively produce ethanol, metabolic engineering is required to create strains with this capability. Previous efforts involved the heterologous expression of the gene encoding a bifunctional alcohol dehydrogenase, AdhE, which uses NADH as the electron donor to reduce acetyl-CoA to ethanol. Acetyl-CoA produced from sugar oxidation also generates reduced ferredoxin but there is no known pathway for the transfer of electrons from reduced ferredoxin to NAD in C. bescii. Herein, we engineered a strain of C. bescii using a more stable genetic background than previously reported and heterologously-expressed adhE from Clostridium thermocellum (which grows optimally (Topt) at 60 °C) with and without co-expression of the membrane-bound Rnf complex from Thermoanaerobacter sp. X514 (Topt 60 °C). Rnf is an energy-conserving, reduced ferredoxin NAD oxidoreductase encoded by six genes (rnfCDGEAB). It was produced in a catalytically active form in C. bescii that utilized the largest DNA construct to be expressed in this organism. The new genetic lineage containing AdhE resulted in increased ethanol production compared to previous reports. Ethanol production was further enhanced by the presence of Rnf, which also resulted in decreased production of pyruvate, acetoin and an uncharacterized compound as unwanted side-products. Using crystalline cellulose as the growth substrate for the Rnf-containing strain, 75 mM (3.5 g/L) ethanol was produced at 60 °C, which is 5-fold higher than that reported previously. This underlines the importance of redox balancing and paves the way for achieving even higher ethanol titers in C. bescii. New stable genetic background results in higher ethanol production. Ethanol production is enhanced further by reduced ferredoxin NAD oxidoreductase (Rnf). Rnf decreases pyruvate, acetoin and an unknown compound as unwanted side products. Maximum ethanol production is five-times higher than that achieved previously.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Gabriel M Rubinstein
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Israel M Scott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Gina L Lipscomb
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Farris L Poole Ii
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | - Robert M Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Michael W W Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
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Native xylose-inducible promoter expands the genetic tools for the biomass-degrading, extremely thermophilic bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii. Extremophiles 2018; 22:629-638. [PMID: 29797090 DOI: 10.1007/s00792-018-1023-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
Regulated control of both homologous and heterologous gene expression is essential for precise genetic manipulation and metabolic engineering of target microorganisms. However, there are often no options available for inducible promoters when working with non-model microorganisms. These include extremely thermophilic, cellulolytic bacteria that are of interest for renewable lignocellulosic conversion to biofuels and chemicals. In fact, improvements to the genetic systems in these organisms often cease once transformation is achieved. This present study expands the tools available for genetically engineering Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, the most thermophilic cellulose-degrader known growing up to 90 °C on unpretreated plant biomass. A native xylose-inducible (P xi ) promoter was utilized to control the expression of the reporter gene (ldh) encoding lactate dehydrogenase. The P xi -ldh construct resulted in a both increased ldh expression (20-fold higher) and lactate dehydrogenase activity (32-fold higher) in the presence of xylose compared to when glucose was used as a substrate. Finally, lactate production during growth of the recombinant C. bescii strain was proportional to the initial xylose concentration, showing that tunable expression of genes is now possible using this xylose-inducible system. This study represents a major step in the use of C. bescii as a potential platform microorganism for biotechnological applications using renewable biomass.
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Liu H, Sun J, Chang JS, Shukla P. Engineering microbes for direct fermentation of cellulose to bioethanol. Crit Rev Biotechnol 2018; 38:1089-1105. [DOI: 10.1080/07388551.2018.1452891] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hao Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jianliang Sun
- State Key Laboratory of Pulp and Paper Engineering, South China University of Technology, Guangzhou, China
| | - Jo-Shu Chang
- Department of Chemical Engineering, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan, China
| | - Pratyoosh Shukla
- Enzyme Technology and Protein Bioinformatics Laboratory, Department of Microbiology, Maharshi Dayanand University, Rohtak, India
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Expression of a Cellobiose Phosphorylase from Thermotoga maritima in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii Improves the Phosphorolytic Pathway and Results in a Dramatic Increase in Cellulolytic Activity. Appl Environ Microbiol 2018; 84:AEM.02348-17. [PMID: 29101202 DOI: 10.1128/aem.02348-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2017] [Accepted: 11/01/2017] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Members of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor have the ability to deconstruct and grow on lignocellulosic biomass without conventional pretreatment. A genetically tractable species, Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, was recently engineered to produce ethanol directly from switchgrass. C. bescii contains more than 50 glycosyl hydrolases and a suite of extracellular enzymes for biomass deconstruction, most prominently CelA, a multidomain cellulase that uses a novel mechanism to deconstruct plant biomass. Accumulation of cellobiose, a product of CelA during growth on biomass, inhibits cellulase activity. Here, we show that heterologous expression of a cellobiose phosphorylase from Thermotoga maritima improves the phosphorolytic pathway in C. bescii and results in synergistic activity with endogenous enzymes, including CelA, to increase cellulolytic activity and growth on crystalline cellulose.IMPORTANCE CelA is the only known cellulase to function well on highly crystalline cellulose and it uses a mechanism distinct from those of other cellulases, including fungal cellulases. Also unlike fungal cellulases, it functions at high temperature and, in fact, outperforms commercial cellulase cocktails. Factors that inhibit CelA during biomass deconstruction are significantly different than those that impact the performance of fungal cellulases and commercial mixtures. This work contributes to understanding of cellulase inhibition and enzyme function and will suggest a rational approach to engineering optimal activity.
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Kim SK, Chung D, Himmel ME, Bomble YJ, Westpheling J. Heterologous expression of a β-D-glucosidase in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii has a surprisingly modest effect on the activity of the exoproteome and growth on crystalline cellulose. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 2017; 44:1643-1651. [PMID: 28942503 DOI: 10.1007/s10295-017-1982-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2017] [Accepted: 09/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Members of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor are the most thermophilic cellulolytic bacteria so far described and are capable of efficiently utilizing complex lignocellulosic biomass without conventional pretreatment. Previous studies have shown that accumulation of high concentrations of cellobiose and, to a lesser extent, cellotriose, inhibits cellulase activity both in vivo and in vitro and high concentrations of cellobiose are present in C. bescii fermentations after 90 h of incubation. For some cellulolytic microorganisms, β-D-glucosidase is essential for the efficient utilization of cellobiose as a carbon source and is an essential enzyme in commercial preparations for efficient deconstruction of plant biomass. In spite of its ability to grow efficiently on crystalline cellulose, no extracellular β-D-glucosidase or its GH1 catalytic domain could be identified in the C. bescii genome. To investigate whether the addition of a secreted β-D-glucosidase would improve growth and cellulose utilization by C. bescii, we cloned and expressed a thermostable β-D-glucosidase from Acidothermus cellulolyticus (Acel_0133) in C. bescii using the CelA signal sequence for protein export. The effect of this addition was modest, suggesting that β-D-glucosidase is not rate limiting for cellulose deconstruction and utilization by C. bescii.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Ki Kim
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA.,The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Daehwan Chung
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Michael E Himmel
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Yannick J Bomble
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO, USA.,The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA
| | - Janet Westpheling
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA. .,The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831, USA.
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Kim SK, Chung D, Himmel ME, Bomble YJ, Westpheling J. In vivo synergistic activity of a CAZyme cassette from Acidothermus cellulolyticus significantly improves the cellulolytic activity of the C. bescii exoproteome. Biotechnol Bioeng 2017. [PMID: 28650071 DOI: 10.1002/bit.26366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
The use of microbial cells to convert plant biomass directly to fuels and chemicals is referred to as consolidated bioprocessing (CBP). Members of the bacterial genus, Caldicellulosiruptor (Gram-positive, anaerobic hyperthermophiles) are capable of deconstructing plant biomass without enzymatic or chemical pretreatment. This is accomplished by the production and secretion of free, multi-domain enzymes that outperform commercial enzyme cocktails on some substrates. Here, we show that the exoproteome of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii may be enhanced by the heterologous expression of enzymes from Acidothermus cellulolyticus that act synergistically to improve sugar release from complex substrates; as well as improve cell growth. In this work, co-expression of the A. cellulolyticus Acel_0615 β-glucanase (GH6 and GH12) and E1 endoglucanase (GH5) enzymes resulted in an increase in the activity of the exoproteome on Avicel; as well as an increase in growth of C. bescii on Avicel compared to the parental strain or the strain expressing the β-glucanase alone. Our ability to engineer the composition and effectiveness of the exoproteome of these bacteria provides insight into the natural mechanism of plant cell wall deconstruction, as well as future directions for improving CBP. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2017;114: 2474-2480. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Ki Kim
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602.,The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831
| | - Daehwan Chung
- The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831.,Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado
| | - Michael E Himmel
- The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831.,Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado
| | - Yannick J Bomble
- The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831.,Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, Colorado
| | - Janet Westpheling
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, 30602.,The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, 37831
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Genome Stability in Engineered Strains of the Extremely Thermophilic Lignocellulose-Degrading Bacterium Caldicellulosiruptor bescii. Appl Environ Microbiol 2017; 83:AEM.00444-17. [PMID: 28476773 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00444-17] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2017] [Accepted: 04/26/2017] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Caldicellulosiruptor bescii is the most thermophilic cellulose degrader known and is of great interest because of its ability to degrade nonpretreated plant biomass. For biotechnological applications, an efficient genetic system is required to engineer it to convert plant biomass into desired products. To date, two different genetically tractable lineages of C. bescii strains have been generated. The first (JWCB005) is based on a random deletion within the pyrimidine biosynthesis genes pyrFA, and the second (MACB1018) is based on the targeted deletion of pyrE, making use of a kanamycin resistance marker. Importantly, an active insertion element, ISCbe4, was discovered in C. bescii when it disrupted the gene for lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) in strain JWCB018, constructed in the JWCB005 background. Additional instances of ISCbe4 movement in other strains of this lineage are presented herein. These observations raise concerns about the genetic stability of such strains and their use as metabolic engineering platforms. In order to investigate genome stability in engineered strains of C. bescii from the two lineages, genome sequencing and Southern blot analyses were performed. The evidence presented shows a dramatic increase in the number of single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions/deletions, and ISCbe4 elements within the genome of JWCB005, leading to massive genome rearrangements in its daughter strain, JWCB018. Such dramatic effects were not evident in the newer MACB1018 lineage, indicating that JWCB005 and its daughter strains are not suitable for metabolic engineering purposes in C. bescii Furthermore, a facile approach for assessing genomic stability in C. bescii has been established.IMPORTANCECaldicellulosiruptor bescii is a cellulolytic extremely thermophilic bacterium of great interest for metabolic engineering efforts geared toward lignocellulosic biofuel and bio-based chemical production. Genetic technology in C. bescii has led to the development of two uracil auxotrophic genetic background strains for metabolic engineering. We show that strains derived from the genetic background containing a random deletion in uracil biosynthesis genes (pyrFA) have a dramatic increase in the number of single nucleotide polymorphisms, insertions/deletions, and ISCbe4 insertion elements in their genomes compared to the wild type. At least one daughter strain of this lineage also contains large-scale genome rearrangements that are flanked by these ISCbe4 elements. In contrast, strains developed from the second background strain developed using a targeted deletion strategy of the uracil biosynthetic gene pyrE have a stable genome structure, making them preferable for future metabolic engineering studies.
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Straub CT, Zeldes BM, Schut GJ, Adams MWW, Kelly RM. Extremely thermophilic energy metabolisms: biotechnological prospects. Curr Opin Biotechnol 2017; 45:104-112. [DOI: 10.1016/j.copbio.2017.02.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Revised: 02/14/2017] [Accepted: 02/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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Ranganathan A, Smith OP, Youssef NH, Struchtemeyer CG, Atiyeh HK, Elshahed MS. Utilizing Anaerobic Fungi for Two-stage Sugar Extraction and Biofuel Production from Lignocellulosic Biomass. Front Microbiol 2017; 8:635. [PMID: 28443088 PMCID: PMC5387070 DOI: 10.3389/fmicb.2017.00635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/28/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Lignocellulosic biomass is a vast and underutilized resource for the production of sugars and biofuels. However, the structural complexity of lignocellulosic biomass and the need for multiple pretreatment and enzymatic steps for sugar release renders this process economically challenging. Here, we report a novel approach for direct, single container, exogenous enzyme-free conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to sugars and biofuels using the anaerobic fungal isolate strain C1A. This approach utilizes simple physiological manipulations for timely inhibition and uncoupling of saccharolytic and fermentative capabilities of strain C1A, leading to the accumulation of sugar monomers (glucose and xylose) in the culture medium. The produced sugars, in addition to fungal hyphal lysate, are subsequently converted by Escherichia coli strain K011 to ethanol. Using this approach, we successfully recovered 17.0% (w/w) of alkali-pretreated corn stover (20.0% of its glucan and xylan content) as sugar monomers in the culture media. More importantly, 14.1% of pretreated corn stover (17.1% of glucan and xylan content) was recovered as ethanol at a final concentration of 28.16 mM after the addition of the ethanologenic strain K011. The high ethanol yield obtained is due to its accumulation as a minor fermentation end product by strain C1A during its initial growth phase, the complete conversion of sugars to ethanol by strain K011, and the possible conversion of unspecified substrates in the hyphal lysate of strain C1A to ethanol by strain K011. This study presents a novel, versatile, and exogenous enzyme-free strategy that utilizes a relatively unexplored group of organisms (anaerobic fungi) for direct biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abhaya Ranganathan
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, StillwaterOK, USA
| | - Olivia P Smith
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, StillwaterOK, USA
| | - Noha H Youssef
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, StillwaterOK, USA
| | | | - Hasan K Atiyeh
- Department of Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering, Oklahoma State University, StillwaterOK, USA
| | - Mostafa S Elshahed
- Department of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, Oklahoma State University, StillwaterOK, USA
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Benyamin MS, Jahnke JP, Mackie DM. Vapor-fed bio-hybrid fuel cell. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2017; 10:68. [PMID: 28331544 PMCID: PMC5356349 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-017-0755-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2016] [Accepted: 03/10/2017] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Concentration and purification of ethanol and other biofuels from fermentations are energy-intensive processes, with amplified costs at smaller scales. To circumvent the need for these processes, and to potentially reduce transportation costs as well, we have previously investigated bio-hybrid fuel cells (FCs), in which a fermentation and FC are closely coupled. However, long-term operation requires strictly preventing the fermentation and FC from harming each other. We introduce here the concept of the vapor-fed bio-hybrid FC as a means of continuously extracting power from ongoing fermentations at ambient conditions. By bubbling a carrier gas (N2) through a yeast fermentation and then through a direct ethanol FC, we protect the FC anode from the catalyst poisons in the fermentation (which are non-volatile), and also protect the yeast from harmful FC products (notably acetic acid) and from build-up of ethanol. RESULTS Since vapor-fed direct ethanol FCs at ambient conditions have never been systematically characterized (in contrast to vapor-fed direct methanol FCs), we first assess the effects on output power and conversion efficiency of ethanol concentration, vapor flow rate, and FC voltage. The results fit a continuous stirred-tank reactor model. Over a wide range of ethanol partial pressures (2-8 mmHg), power densities are comparable to those for liquid-fed direct ethanol FCs at the same temperature, with power densities >2 mW/cm2 obtained. We then demonstrate the continuous operation of a vapor-fed bio-hybrid FC with fermentation for 5 months, with no indication of performance degradation due to poisoning (of either the FC or the fermentation). It is further shown that the system is stable, recovering quickly from disturbances or from interruptions in maintenance. CONCLUSIONS The vapor-fed bio-hybrid FC enables extraction of power from dilute bio-ethanol streams without costly concentration and purification steps. The concept should be scalable to both large and small operations and should be generalizable to other biofuels and waste-to-energy systems.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Justin P. Jahnke
- Army Research Laboratory, 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20740 USA
| | - David M. Mackie
- Army Research Laboratory, 2800 Powder Mill Road, Adelphi, MD 20740 USA
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Counts JA, Zeldes BM, Lee LL, Straub CT, Adams MWW, Kelly RM. Physiological, metabolic and biotechnological features of extremely thermophilic microorganisms. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS-SYSTEMS BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE 2017; 9. [PMID: 28206708 DOI: 10.1002/wsbm.1377] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/06/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/30/2016] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
The current upper thermal limit for life as we know it is approximately 120°C. Microorganisms that grow optimally at temperatures of 75°C and above are usually referred to as 'extreme thermophiles' and include both bacteria and archaea. For over a century, there has been great scientific curiosity in the basic tenets that support life in thermal biotopes on earth and potentially on other solar bodies. Extreme thermophiles can be aerobes, anaerobes, autotrophs, heterotrophs, or chemolithotrophs, and are found in diverse environments including shallow marine fissures, deep sea hydrothermal vents, terrestrial hot springs-basically, anywhere there is hot water. Initial efforts to study extreme thermophiles faced challenges with their isolation from difficult to access locales, problems with their cultivation in laboratories, and lack of molecular tools. Fortunately, because of their relatively small genomes, many extreme thermophiles were among the first organisms to be sequenced, thereby opening up the application of systems biology-based methods to probe their unique physiological, metabolic and biotechnological features. The bacterial genera Caldicellulosiruptor, Thermotoga and Thermus, and the archaea belonging to the orders Thermococcales and Sulfolobales, are among the most studied extreme thermophiles to date. The recent emergence of genetic tools for many of these organisms provides the opportunity to move beyond basic discovery and manipulation to biotechnologically relevant applications of metabolic engineering. WIREs Syst Biol Med 2017, 9:e1377. doi: 10.1002/wsbm.1377 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A Counts
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Benjamin M Zeldes
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Laura L Lee
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Christopher T Straub
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
| | - Michael W W Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | - Robert M Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA
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Keller MW, Lipscomb GL, Nguyen DM, Crowley AT, Schut GJ, Scott I, Kelly RM, Adams MWW. Ethanol production by the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus by expression of bacterial bifunctional alcohol dehydrogenases. Microb Biotechnol 2017; 10:1535-1545. [PMID: 28194879 PMCID: PMC5658578 DOI: 10.1111/1751-7915.12486] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/07/2016] [Revised: 10/03/2016] [Accepted: 11/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Ethanol is an important target for the renewable production of liquid transportation fuels. It can be produced biologically from pyruvate, via pyruvate decarboxylase, or from acetyl‐CoA, by alcohol dehydrogenase E (AdhE). Thermophilic bacteria utilize AdhE, which is a bifunctional enzyme that contains both acetaldehyde dehydrogenase and alcohol dehydrogenase activities. Many of these organisms also contain a separate alcohol dehydrogenase (AdhA) that generates ethanol from acetaldehyde, although the role of AdhA in ethanol production is typically not clear. As acetyl‐CoA is a key central metabolite that can be generated from a wide range of substrates, AdhE can serve as a single gene fuel module to produce ethanol through primary metabolic pathways. The focus here is on the hyperthermophilic archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, which grows by fermenting sugar to acetate, CO2 and H2. Previously, by the heterologous expression of adhA from a thermophilic bacterium, P. furiosus was shown to produce ethanol by a novel mechanism from acetate, mediated by AdhA and the native enzyme aldehyde oxidoreductase (AOR). In this study, the AOR gene was deleted from P. furiosus to evaluate ethanol production directly from acetyl‐CoA by heterologous expression of the adhE gene from eight thermophilic bacteria. Only AdhEs from two Thermoanaerobacter strains showed significant activity in cell‐free extracts of recombinant P. furiosus and supported ethanol production in vivo. In the AOR deletion background, the highest amount of ethanol (estimated 61% theoretical yield) was produced when adhE and adhA from Thermoanaerobacter were co‐expressed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew W Keller
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Gina L Lipscomb
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Diep M Nguyen
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Alexander T Crowley
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Gerrit J Schut
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Israel Scott
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
| | - Robert M Kelly
- Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, 27695, USA
| | - Michael W W Adams
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, 30602, USA
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36
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Ábrego U, Chen Z, Wan C. Consolidated Bioprocessing Systems for Cellulosic Biofuel Production. ADVANCES IN BIOENERGY 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/bs.aibe.2017.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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37
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Loder AJ, Zeldes BM, Conway JM, Counts JA, Straub CT, Khatibi PA, Lee LL, Vitko NP, Keller MW, Rhaesa AM, Rubinstein GM, Scott IM, Lipscomb GL, Adams MW, Kelly RM. Extreme Thermophiles as Metabolic Engineering Platforms: Strategies and Current Perspective. Ind Biotechnol (New Rochelle N Y) 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/9783527807796.ch14] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Andrew J. Loder
- North Carolina State University; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; EB-1, 911 Partners Way Raleigh NC 27695-7905 USA
| | - Benjamin M. Zeldes
- North Carolina State University; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; EB-1, 911 Partners Way Raleigh NC 27695-7905 USA
| | - Jonathan M. Conway
- North Carolina State University; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; EB-1, 911 Partners Way Raleigh NC 27695-7905 USA
| | - James A. Counts
- North Carolina State University; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; EB-1, 911 Partners Way Raleigh NC 27695-7905 USA
| | - Christopher T. Straub
- North Carolina State University; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; EB-1, 911 Partners Way Raleigh NC 27695-7905 USA
| | - Piyum A. Khatibi
- North Carolina State University; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; EB-1, 911 Partners Way Raleigh NC 27695-7905 USA
| | - Laura L. Lee
- North Carolina State University; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; EB-1, 911 Partners Way Raleigh NC 27695-7905 USA
| | - Nicholas P. Vitko
- North Carolina State University; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; EB-1, 911 Partners Way Raleigh NC 27695-7905 USA
| | - Matthew W. Keller
- University of Georgia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Life Sciences Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602-7229, USA
| | - Amanda M. Rhaesa
- University of Georgia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Life Sciences Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602-7229, USA
| | - Gabe M. Rubinstein
- University of Georgia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Life Sciences Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602-7229, USA
| | - Israel M. Scott
- University of Georgia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Life Sciences Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602-7229, USA
| | - Gina L. Lipscomb
- University of Georgia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Life Sciences Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602-7229, USA
| | - Michael W.W. Adams
- University of Georgia; Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Life Sciences Bldg., University of Georgia, Athens GA 30602-7229, USA
| | - Robert M. Kelly
- North Carolina State University; Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering; EB-1, 911 Partners Way Raleigh NC 27695-7905 USA
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A Highly Thermostable Kanamycin Resistance Marker Expands the Tool Kit for Genetic Manipulation of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii. Appl Environ Microbiol 2016; 82:4421-4428. [PMID: 27208106 DOI: 10.1128/aem.00570-16] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/10/2016] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
UNLABELLED Caldicellulosiruptor bescii, an anaerobic Gram-positive bacterium with an optimal growth temperature of 78°C, is the most thermophilic cellulose degrader known. It is of great biotechnological interest, as it efficiently deconstructs nonpretreated lignocellulosic plant biomass. Currently, its genetic manipulation relies on a mutant uracil auxotrophic background strain that contains a random deletion in the pyrF genome region. The pyrF gene serves as a genetic marker to select for uracil prototrophy, and it can also be counterselected for loss via resistance to the compound 5-fluoroorotic acid (5-FOA). To expand the C. bescii genetic tool kit, kanamycin resistance was developed as a selection for genetic manipulation. A codon-optimized version of the highly thermostable kanamycin resistance gene (named Cbhtk) allowed the use of kanamycin selection to obtain transformants of either replicating or integrating vector constructs in C. bescii These strains showed resistance to kanamycin at concentrations >50 μg · ml(-1), whereas wild-type C. bescii was sensitive to kanamycin at 10 μg · ml(-1) In addition, placement of the Cbhtk marker between homologous recombination regions in an integrating vector allowed direct selection of a chromosomal mutation using both kanamycin and 5-FOA. Furthermore, the use of kanamycin selection enabled the targeted deletion of the pyrE gene in wild-type C. bescii, generating a uracil auxotrophic genetic background strain resistant to 5-FOA. The pyrE gene functioned as a counterselectable marker, like pyrF, and was used together with Cbhtk in the ΔpyrE background strain to delete genes encoding lactate dehydrogenase and the CbeI restriction enzyme. IMPORTANCE Caldicellulosiruptor bescii is a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium with an optimal growth temperature of 78°C, and it has the ability to efficiently deconstruct nonpretreated lignocellulosic plant biomass. It is, therefore, of biotechnological interest for genetic engineering applications geared toward biofuel production. The current genetic system used with C. bescii is based upon only a single selection strategy, and this uses the gene involved in a primary biosynthetic pathway. There are many advantages with an additional genetic selection using an antibiotic. This presents a challenge for thermophilic microorganisms, as only a limited number of antibiotics are stable above 50°C, and a thermostable version of the enzyme conferring antibiotic resistance must be obtained. In this work, we have developed a selection system for C. bescii using the antibiotic kanamycin and have shown that, in combination with the biosynthetic gene marker, it can be used to efficiently delete genes in this organism.
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Kim SK, Chung D, Himmel ME, Bomble YJ, Westpheling J. Heterologous expression of family 10 xylanases from Acidothermus cellulolyticus enhances the exoproteome of Caldicellulosiruptor bescii and growth on xylan substrates. BIOTECHNOLOGY FOR BIOFUELS 2016; 9:176. [PMID: 27555882 PMCID: PMC4994175 DOI: 10.1186/s13068-016-0588-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The ability to deconstruct plant biomass without conventional pretreatment has made members of the genus Caldicellulosiruptor the target of investigation for the consolidated processing of lignocellulosic biomass to biofuels and bioproducts. These Gram-positive bacteria are hyperthermophilic anaerobes and the most thermophilic cellulolytic organisms so far described. They use both C5 and C6 sugars simultaneously and have the ability to grow well on xylan, a major component of plant cell walls. This is an important advantage for their use to efficiently convert biomass at yields sufficient for an industrial process. For commodity chemicals, yield from substrate is perhaps the most important economic factor. In an attempt to improve even further the ability of C. bescii to use xylan, we introduced two xylanases from Acidothermus cellulolyticus. Acel_0180 includes tandem carbohydrate-binding modules (CBM2 and CBM3) located at the C-terminus, one of which, CBM2, is not present in C. bescii. Also, the sequences of Xyn10A and Acel_0180 have very little homology with the GH10 domains present in C. bescii. For these reasons, we selected these xylanases as potential candidates for synergistic interaction with those in the C. bescii exoproteome. RESULTS Heterologous expression of two xylanases from Acidothermus cellulolyticus in Caldicellulosiruptor bescii resulted in a modest, but significant increase in the activity of the exoproteome of C. bescii on xylan substrates. Even though the increase in extracellular activity was modest, the ability of C. bescii to grow on these substrates was dramatically improved suggesting that the xylan substrate/microbe interaction substantially increased deconstruction over the secreted free enzymes alone. CONCLUSIONS We anticipate that the ability to efficiently use xylan, a major component of plant cell walls for conversion of plant biomass to products of interest, will allow the conversion of renewable, sustainable, and inexpensive plant feedstocks to products at high yields.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sun-Ki Kim
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
- The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Daehwan Chung
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO USA
- The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Michael E. Himmel
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO USA
- The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Yannick J. Bomble
- Biosciences Center, National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Golden, CO USA
- The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
| | - Janet Westpheling
- Department of Genetics, University of Georgia, Athens, GA USA
- The BioEnergy Science Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN USA
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