Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for xylose utilization

Ethanol yield improvement in Saccharomyces cerevisiae GPD2 Delta FPS1 Delta ADH2 Delta DLD3 Delta mutant and molecular mechanism exploration based on the metabolic flux and transcriptomics approaches

Background

Saccharomyces cerevisiae generally consumes glucose to produce ethanol accompanied by the main by-products of glycerol, acetic acid, and lactic acid. The minimization of the formation of by-products in S. cerevisiae was an effective way to improve the economic viability of the bioethanol industry. In this study, S. cerevisiae GPD2, FPS1, ADH2, and DLD3 genes were knocked out by the Clustered Regularly Interspaced Short Palindromic Repeats Cas9 (CRISPR-Cas9) approach. The mechanism of gene deletion affecting ethanol metabolism was further elucidated based on metabolic flux and transcriptomics approaches.

Results

The engineered S. cerevisiae with gene deletion of GPD2, FPS1, ADH2, and DLD3 was constructed by the CRISPR-Cas9 approach. The ethanol content of engineered S. cerevisiae GPD2 Delta FPS1 Delta ADH2 Delta DLD3 Delta increased by 18.58% with the decrease of glycerol, acetic acid, and lactic acid contents by 22.32, 8.87, and 16.82%, respectively. The metabolic flux analysis indicated that the carbon flux r_ethanol in engineered strain increased from 60.969 to 63.379. The sequencing-based RNA-Seq transcriptomics represented 472 differential expression genes (DEGs) were identified in engineered S. cerevisiae, in which 195 and 277 genes were significantly up-regulated and down-regulated, respectively. The enriched pathways of up-regulated genes were mainly involved in the energy metabolism of carbohydrates, while the down-regulated genes were mainly enriched in acid metabolic pathways.

Conclusions

The yield of ethanol in engineered S. cerevisiae increased with the decrease of the by-products including glycerol, acetic acid, and lactic acid. The deletion of genes GPD2, FPS1, ADH2, and DLD3 resulted in the redirection of carbon flux.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12934-022-01885-3.

Torrefaction of Agricultural and Wood Waste: Comparative Analysis of Selected Fuel Characteristics

Abundant biomass is a potential energy source. However, it possesses several challenges when considered for energy applications. Torrefaction, a thermal pretreatment process can improve the properties of biomass as energy source. This study focused on comparing effect of torrefaction operating parameters on agricultural and wood wastes properties as fuel. The physiochemical properties, composition, moisture-biomass interaction and ash melting behavior were determined. The result show that higher torrefaction temperature and longer residence time increased lignin content, reduced hemicellulose and cellulose content. The moisture uptake of torrefied biomass was reduced in the range 2.47–9.94% compared with raw biomass depending on torrefaction temperature that indicate torrefied biomass was more hydrophobic than raw biomass. The moisture adsorption isotherm curve shows type II isotherm based on the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller’s (BET) classification and was best described by the Oswin model. In addition, torrefaction treatment showed significant influence on the melting behavior of the biomass ash. Especially for agricultural wastes, the fouling tendency shifted from serious range to low range with torrefaction treatment. Torrefaction showed promise for improving fuel characteristics of the studied biomass.

Tracking strategic developments for conferring xylose utilization/fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Purpose

Efficient ethanol production through lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysates could solve energy crisis as it is economically sustainable and ecofriendly. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the work horse for lignocellulosic bioethanol production at industrial level. But its inability to ferment and utilize xylose limits the overall efficacy of the process.

Method

Data for the review was selected using different sources, such as Biofuels digest, Statista, International energy agency (IEA). Google scholar was used as a search engine to search literature for yeast metabolic engineering approaches. Keywords used were metabolic engineering of yeast for bioethanol production from lignocellulosic biomass.

Result

Through these approaches, interconnected pathways can be targeted randomly. Moreover, the improved strains genetic makeup can help us understand the mechanisms involved for this purpose.

Conclusion

This review discusses all possible approaches for metabolic engineering of yeast. These approaches may reveal unknown hidden mechanisms and construct ways for the researchers to produce novel and modified strains.

Construction of advanced producers of first- and second-generation ethanol in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and selected species of non-conventional yeasts (Scheffersomyces stipitis, Ogataea polymorpha)

This review summarizes progress in the construction of efficient yeast ethanol producers from glucose/sucrose and lignocellulose. Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the major industrial producer of first-generation ethanol. The different approaches to increase ethanol yield and productivity from glucose in S. cerevisiae are described. Construction of the producers of second-generation ethanol is described for S. cerevisiae, one of the best natural xylose fermenters, Scheffersomyces stipitis and the most thermotolerant yeast known Ogataea polymorpha. Each of these organisms has some advantages and drawbacks. S. cerevisiae is the primary industrial ethanol producer and is the most ethanol tolerant natural yeast known and, however, cannot metabolize xylose. S. stipitis can effectively ferment both glucose and xylose and, however, has low ethanol tolerance and requires oxygen for growth. O. polymorpha grows and ferments at high temperatures and, however, produces very low amounts of ethanol from xylose. Review describes how the mentioned drawbacks could be overcome.

Reassessment of requirements for anaerobic xylose fermentation by engineered, non-evolved Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Expression of a heterologous xylose isomerase, deletion of the GRE3 aldose-reductase gene and overexpression of genes encoding xylulokinase (XKS1) and non-oxidative pentose-phosphate-pathway enzymes (RKI1, RPE1, TAL1, TKL1) enables aerobic growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on d-xylose. However, literature reports differ on whether anaerobic growth on d-xylose requires additional mutations. Here, CRISPR-Cas9-assisted reconstruction and physiological analysis confirmed an early report that this basic set of genetic modifications suffices to enable anaerobic growth on d-xylose in the CEN.PK genetic background. Strains that additionally carried overexpression cassettes for the transaldolase and transketolase paralogs NQM1 and TKL2 only exhibited anaerobic growth on d-xylose after a 7–10 day lag phase. This extended lag phase was eliminated by increasing inoculum concentrations from 0.02 to 0.2 g biomass L⁻¹. Alternatively, a long lag phase could be prevented by sparging low-inoculum-density bioreactor cultures with a CO₂/N₂-mixture, thus mimicking initial CO₂ concentrations in high-inoculum-density, nitrogen-sparged cultures, or by using l-aspartate instead of ammonium as nitrogen source. This study resolves apparent contradictions in the literature on the genetic interventions required for anaerobic growth of CEN.PK-derived strains on d-xylose. Additionally, it indicates the potential relevance of CO₂ availability and anaplerotic carboxylation reactions for anaerobic growth of engineered S. cerevisiae strains on d-xylose.

Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for second-generation ethanol production: from academic exploration to industrial implementation

The recent start-up of several full-scale 'second generation' ethanol plants marks a major milestone in the development of Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains for fermentation of lignocellulosic hydrolysates of agricultural residues and energy crops. After a discussion of the challenges that these novel industrial contexts impose on yeast strains, this minireview describes key metabolic engineering strategies that have been developed to address these challenges. Additionally, it outlines how proof-of-concept studies, often developed in academic settings, can be used for the development of robust strain platforms that meet the requirements for industrial application. Fermentation performance of current engineered industrial S. cerevisiae strains is no longer a bottleneck in efforts to achieve the projected outputs of the first large-scale second-generation ethanol plants. Academic and industrial yeast research will continue to strengthen the economic value position of second-generation ethanol production by further improving fermentation kinetics, product yield and cellular robustness under process conditions.

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

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

ATP-Based Ratio Regulation of Glucose and Xylose Improved Succinate Production

We previously engineered E. coli YL104H to efficiently produce succinate from glucose. Furthermore, the present study proved that YL104H could also co-utilize xylose and glucose for succinate production. However, anaerobic succinate accumulation using xylose as the sole carbon source failed, probably because of an insufficient supply of energy. By analyzing the ATP generation under anaerobic conditions in the presence of glucose or xylose, we indicated that succinate production was affected by the intracellular ATP level, which can be simply regulated by the substrate ratio of xylose to glucose. This finding was confirmed by succinate production using an artificial mixture containing different xylose to glucose ratios. Using xylose mother liquor, a waste containing both glucose and xylose derived from xylitol production, a final succinate titer of 61.66 g/L with an overall productivity of 0.95 g/L/h was achieved, indicating that the regulation of the intracellular ATP level may be a useful and efficient strategy for succinate production and can be extended to other anaerobic processes.

Comparison of individual component deletions in a glucose-specific phosphotransferase system revealed their different applications

The phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent glucose-specific phosphotransferase system (PTS^Glc) is the main glucose uptake pathway in Escherichia coli that affects both substrate assimilation and metabolism leading to the product formation. In this study, the effect of single PTS^Glc mutation on cell growth and substrate consumption was investigated by knocking out the genes involved in the phosphotransfer cascade of the PTS^Glc. In addition, the distribution of the metabolites of mutants was analyzed. Each mutant was confirmed to have different adaptability in the presence of both glucose and xylose with different ratios, and a substrate mixture with high xylose content can be completely consumed in short time when the ptsI mutant is employed. Finally, ptsH deletion was for the first time applied for succinate production due to its well performance under anaerobic condition. Strain YL104H, in which ptsH was deleted, exhibited considerably increased succinate yield under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The succinate titer and overall productivity reached 511.11 mM and 1.01 g/L/h after 60 h during the whole-phase fermentation in a mineral salt medium. The present results demonstrated the glucose and xylose co-utilization efficiency and the product yield and productivity can be significantly improved if a suitable PTS^Glc deletion mutant was selected.

Exploiting Issatchenkia orientalis SD108 for succinic acid production

Background

Recent advances in synthesizing valuable chemicals such as organic acids from low-cost renewable biomass through microbial fermentation have attracted great attention. However, the toxicity of organic acids presents a key challenge to the development of an economically viable fermentation process. Therefore, a platform organism that not only produces organic acids but also tolerates the associated toxicity is highly desirable.

Results

Here we report the discovery, characterization, and engineering of a yeast strain, Issatchenkia orientalis SD108, that is tolerant to low pH and high concentration of organic acids. This strain demonstrated a higher tolerance compared to I. orientalis ATCC 24210 and Classic Distiller’s Turbo yeast. In order to explore SD108 as a potential platform organism for organic acid production, we determined its draft genome sequence and use the sequencing information to guide pathway design. As proof of concept, an engineered four-gene expression cassette related to the reductive TCA cycle was assembled and integrated into the genome of a uracil auxotroph of SD108. The resulting strain was able to produce succinic acid with a titer of 11.63 g/L, yield of 0.12 g/g, and productivity of 0.11 g/L · h in batch cultures using shake flasks.

Conclusions

The high tolerance of I. orientalis SD108 towards multiple important organic acids makes it a highly attractive organism as a platform host for producing this group of compounds as it will reduce production cost, facilitate downstream processing, and serve as a host for construction of production strains with both pH and specific anion tolerance.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12934-014-0121-4) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Simultaneously improving xylose fermentation and tolerance to lignocellulosic inhibitors through evolutionary engineering of recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae harbouring xylose isomerase

BACKGROUND

Yeasts tolerant to toxic inhibitors from steam-pretreated lignocellulose with xylose co-fermentation capability represent an appealing approach for 2nd generation ethanol production. Whereas rational engineering, mutagenesis and evolutionary engineering are established techniques for either improved xylose utilisation or enhancing yeast tolerance, this report focuses on the simultaneous enhancement of these attributes through mutagenesis and evolutionary engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae harbouring xylose isomerase in anoxic chemostat culture using non-detoxified pretreatment liquor from triticale straw.

RESULTS

Following ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis, Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain D5A⁺ (ATCC 200062 strain platform), harbouring the xylose isomerase (XI) gene for pentose co-fermentation was grown in anoxic chemostat culture for 100 generations at a dilution rate of 0.10 h⁻¹ in a medium consisting of 60% (v/v) non-detoxified hydrolysate liquor from steam-pretreated triticale straw, supplemented with 20 g/L xylose as carbon source. In semi-aerobic batch cultures in the same medium, the isolated strain D5A(+H) exhibited a slightly lower maximum specific growth rate (μ(max) = 0.12 ± 0.01 h⁻¹) than strain TMB3400, with no ethanol production observed by the latter strain. Strain D5A(+H) also exhibited a shorter lag phase (4 h vs. 30 h) and complete removal of HMF, furfural and acetic acid from the fermentation broth within 24 h, reaching an ethanol concentration of 1.54 g/L at a yield (Y(p/s)) of 0.06 g/g xylose and a specific productivity of 2.08 g/gh. Evolutionary engineering profoundly affected the yeast metabolism, given that parental strain D5A+ exhibited an oxidative metabolism on xylose prior to strain development.

CONCLUSIONS

Physiological adaptations confirm improvements in the resistance to and conversion of inhibitors from pretreatment liquor with simultaneous enhancement of xylose to ethanol fermentation. These data support the sequential application of random mutagenesis followed by continuous culture under simultaneous selective pressure from inhibitors and xylose as primary carbon source.

Molecular adaptation mechanisms employed by ethanologenic bacteria in response to lignocellulose-derived inhibitory compounds

Current international interest in finding alternative sources of energy to the diminishing supplies of fossil fuels has encouraged research efforts in improving biofuel production technologies. In countries which lack sufficient food, the use of sustainable lignocellulosic feedstocks, for the production of bioethanol, is an attractive option. In the pre-treatment of lignocellulosic feedstocks for ethanol production, various chemicals and/or enzymatic processes are employed. These methods generally result in a range of fermentable sugars, which are subjected to microbial fermentation and distillation to produce bioethanol. However, these methods also produce compounds that are inhibitory to the microbial fermentation process. These compounds include products of sugar dehydration and lignin depolymerisation, such as organic acids, derivatised furaldehydes and phenolic acids. These compounds are known to have a severe negative impact on the ethanologenic microorganisms involved in the fermentation process by compromising the integrity of their cell membranes, inhibiting essential enzymes and negatively interact with their DNA/RNA. It is therefore important to understand the molecular mechanisms of these inhibitions, and the mechanisms by which these microorganisms show increased adaptation to such inhibitors. Presented here is a concise overview of the molecular adaptation mechanisms of ethanologenic bacteria in response to lignocellulose-derived inhibitory compounds. These include general stress response and tolerance mechanisms, which are typically those that maintain intracellular pH homeostasis and cell membrane integrity, activation/regulation of global stress responses and inhibitor substrate-specific degradation pathways. We anticipate that understanding these adaptation responses will be essential in the design of 'intelligent' metabolic engineering strategies for the generation of hyper-tolerant fermentation bacteria strains.

Expression, purification, crystallization and preliminary X-ray diffraction analysis of Bifidobacterium adolescentis xylose isomerase

Xylose isomerase (EC 5.3.1.5) is a key enzyme in xylose metabolism which is industrially important for the transformation of glucose and xylose into fructose and xylulose, respectively. The Bifidobacterium adolescentis xylA gene (NC_008618.1) encoding xylose isomerase (XI) was cloned and the enzyme was overexpressed in Escherichia coli. Purified recombinant XI was crystallized using the sitting-drop vapour-diffusion method with polyethylene glycol 3350 as the precipitating agent. A complete native data set was collected to 1.7 Å resolution using a synchrotron-radiation source. The crystals belonged to the orthorhombic space group P21212, with unit-cell parameters a = 88.78, b = 123.98, c = 78.63 Å.

Deletion of FPS1, encoding aquaglyceroporin Fps1p, improves xylose fermentation by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Accumulation of xylitol in xylose fermentation with engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae presents a major problem that hampers economically feasible production of biofuels from cellulosic plant biomass. In particular, substantial production of xylitol due to unbalanced redox cofactor usage by xylose reductase (XR) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XDH) leads to low yields of ethanol. While previous research focused on manipulating intracellular enzymatic reactions to improve xylose metabolism, this study demonstrated a new strategy to reduce xylitol formation and increase carbon flux toward target products by controlling the process of xylitol secretion. Using xylitol-producing S. cerevisiae strains expressing XR only, we determined the role of aquaglyceroporin Fps1p in xylitol export by characterizing extracellular and intracellular xylitol. In addition, when FPS1 was deleted in a poorly xylose-fermenting strain with unbalanced XR and XDH activities, the xylitol yield was decreased by 71% and the ethanol yield was substantially increased by nearly four times. Experiments with our optimized xylose-fermenting strain also showed that FPS1 deletion reduced xylitol production by 21% to 30% and increased ethanol yields by 3% to 10% under various fermentation conditions. Deletion of FPS1 decreased the xylose consumption rate under anaerobic conditions, but the effect was not significant in fermentation at high cell density. Deletion of FPS1 resulted in higher intracellular xylitol concentrations but did not significantly change the intracellular NAD(+)/NADH ratio in xylose-fermenting strains. The results demonstrate that Fps1p is involved in xylitol export in S. cerevisiae and present a new gene deletion target, FPS1, and a mechanism different from those previously reported to engineer yeast for improved xylose fermentation.

Structure and function of human xylulokinase, an enzyme with important roles in carbohydrate metabolism

D-Xylulokinase (XK; EC 2.7.1.17) catalyzes the ATP-dependent phosphorylation of d-xylulose (Xu) to produce xylulose 5-phosphate (Xu5P). In mammals, XK is the last enzyme in the glucuronate-xylulose pathway, active in the liver and kidneys, and is linked through its product Xu5P to the pentose-phosphate pathway. XK may play an important role in metabolic disease, given that Xu5P is a key regulator of glucose metabolism and lipogenesis. We have expressed the product of a putative human XK gene and identified it as the authentic human d-xylulokinase (hXK). NMR studies with a variety of sugars showed that hXK acts only on d-xylulose, and a coupled photometric assay established its key kinetic parameters as K(m)(Xu) = 24 ± 3 μm and k(cat) = 35 ± 5 s(-1). Crystal structures were determined for hXK, on its own and in complexes with Xu, ADP, and a fluorinated inhibitor. These reveal that hXK has a two-domain fold characteristic of the sugar kinase/hsp70/actin superfamily, with glycerol kinase as its closest relative. Xu binds to domain-I and ADP to domain-II, but in this open form of hXK they are 10 Å apart, implying that a large scale conformational change is required for catalysis. Xu binds in its linear keto-form, sandwiched between a Trp side chain and polar side chains that provide exquisite hydrogen bonding recognition. The hXK structure provides a basis for the design of specific inhibitors with which to probe its roles in sugar metabolism and metabolic disease.

Pretreatment based on two-step steam explosion combined with an intermediate separation of fiber cells--optimization of fermentation of corn straw hydrolysates

Pretreatment is necessary for lignocellulose to achieve a highly efficient enzymatic hydrolysis and fermentation. However, coincident with pretreatment, compounds inhibiting microorganism growth are formed. Some tissues or cells, such as thin-walled cells that easily hydrolyze, will be excessively degraded because of the structural heterogeneity of lignocellulose, and some inhibitors will be generated under the same pretreatment conditions. Results showed, compared with one-step steam explosion (1.2 MPa/8 min), two-step steam explosion with an intermediate separation of fiber cells (ISFC) (1.1 Mpa/4 min-ISFC-1.2 MPa/4 min) can increase enzymatic hydrolyzation by 12.82%, reduce inhibitor conversion by 33%, and increase fermentation product (2,3-butanediol) conversion by 209%. Thus, the two-step steam explosion with ISFC process is proposed to optimize the hydrolysis process of lignocellulose by modifying the raw material from the origin. This novel process reduces the inhibitor content, promotes the biotransformation of lignocellulose, and simplifies the process of excluding the detoxification unit operation.

Polyploidy in fungi: evolution after whole-genome duplication

Polyploidy is a major evolutionary process in eukaryotes-particularly in plants and, to a less extent, in animals, wherein several past and recent whole-genome duplication events have been described. Surprisingly, the incidence of polyploidy in other eukaryote kingdoms, particularly within fungi, remained largely disregarded by the scientific community working on the evolutionary consequences of polyploidy. Recent studies have significantly increased our knowledge of the occurrence and evolutionary significance of fungal polyploidy. The ecological, structural and functional consequences of polyploidy in fungi are reviewed here and compared with the knowledge acquired with conventional plant and animal models. In particular, the genus Saccharomyces emerges as a relevant model for polyploid studies, in addition to plant and animal models.

Metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for increased bioconversion of lignocellulose to ethanol

The absence of pentose-utilizing enzymes in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is an obstacle for efficiently converting lignocellulosic materials to ethanol. In the present study, the genes coding xylose reductase (XYL1) and xylitol dehydrogenase (XYL2) from Pichia stipitis were successfully engineered into S. cerevisae. As compared to the control transformant, engineering of XYL1 and XYL2 into yeasts significantly increased the microbial biomass (8.1 vs. 3.4 g/L), xylose consumption rate (0.15 vs. 0.02 g/h) and ethanol yield (6.8 vs. 3.5 g/L) after 72 h fermentation using a xylose-based medium. Interestingly, engineering of XYL1 and XYL2 into yeasts also elevated the ethanol yield from sugarcane bagasse hydrolysate (SUBH). This study not only provides an effective approach to increase the xylose utilization by yeasts, but the results also suggest that production of ethanol by this recombinant yeasts using unconventional nutrient sources, such as components in SUBH deserves further attention in the future.

Genome-scale consequences of cofactor balancing in engineered pentose utilization pathways in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Biofuels derived from lignocellulosic biomass offer promising alternative renewable energy sources for transportation fuels. Significant effort has been made to engineer Saccharomyces cerevisiae to efficiently ferment pentose sugars such as D-xylose and L-arabinose into biofuels such as ethanol through heterologous expression of the fungal D-xylose and L-arabinose pathways. However, one of the major bottlenecks in these fungal pathways is that the cofactors are not balanced, which contributes to inefficient utilization of pentose sugars. We utilized a genome-scale model of S. cerevisiae to predict the maximal achievable growth rate for cofactor balanced and imbalanced D-xylose and L-arabinose utilization pathways. Dynamic flux balance analysis (DFBA) was used to simulate batch fermentation of glucose, D-xylose, and L-arabinose. The dynamic models and experimental results are in good agreement for the wild type and for the engineered D-xylose utilization pathway. Cofactor balancing the engineered D-xylose and L-arabinose utilization pathways simulated an increase in ethanol batch production of 24.7% while simultaneously reducing the predicted substrate utilization time by 70%. Furthermore, the effects of cofactor balancing the engineered pentose utilization pathways were evaluated throughout the genome-scale metabolic network. This work not only provides new insights to the global network effects of cofactor balancing but also provides useful guidelines for engineering a recombinant yeast strain with cofactor balanced engineered pathways that efficiently co-utilizes pentose and hexose sugars for biofuels production. Experimental switching of cofactor usage in enzymes has been demonstrated, but is a time-consuming effort. Therefore, systems biology models that can predict the likely outcome of such strain engineering efforts are highly useful for motivating which efforts are likely to be worth the significant time investment.

D-Xylulose kinase from Saccharomyces cerevisiae: isolation and characterization of the highly unstable enzyme, recombinantly produced in Escherichia coli

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae gene encoding xylulose kinase (XKS1) was over-expressed to an abundance of ≥ 10% intracellular protein in Escherichia coli. Instability of XKS1, not pointed out in previous reports of the enzyme, prevented isolation of active enzyme in native or "tagged" form under a wide range of purification conditions. A fusion protein haboring C-terminal Strep-tag II (XKS1-Strep) displayed activity (∼20 U/mg) as isolated. However, the half-life time of purified XKS1-Strep was only ∼1.5h at 4°C and could not be enhanced substantially by an assortment of extrinsic stabilizers (osmolytes, protein, substrates). Peptide mass mapping and N-terminal sequencing showed that the recombinant protein was structurally intact, ruling out proteolytic processing and chemical modifications as possible factors to compromise the stability of the enzyme as isolated. Partial functional complementation of a largely inactive XKS1 preparation by the high-molecular mass fraction (≥ 10kDa) of cell extract prepared from an E. coli BL21 (DE3) expression host suggests a possible role for heterotropic protein-XKS1 interactions in conferring activity/stability to the enzyme. Michaelis-Menten constants of XKS1-Strep were determined: d-xylulose (210 ± 40 μM) and Mg(2+)-ATP (1.70 ± 0.10 mM).

Oil production by oleaginous yeasts using the hydrolysate from pretreatment of wheat straw with dilute sulfuric acid

This paper explores the use of the hydrolysate from the dilute sulfuric acid pretreatment of wheat straw for microbial oil production. The resulting hydrolysate was composed of pentoses (24.3g/L) and hexoses (4.9 g/L), along with some other degradation products, such as acetic acid, furfural, and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). Five oleaginous yeast strains, Cryptococcus curvatus, Rhodotorula glutinis, Rhodosporidium toruloides, Lipomyces starkeyi, and Yarrowia lipolytica, were evaluated by using this hydrolysate as substrates. The results showed that all of these strains could use the detoxified hydrolysate to produce lipids while except R. toruloides non-detoxified hydrolysate could also be used for the growth of all of the selective yeast strains. C. curvatus showed the highest lipid concentrations in medium on both the detoxified (4.2g/L) and non-detoxified (5.8 g/L) hydrolysates. And the inhibitory effect studies on C. curvatus indicated HMF had insignificant impacts at a concentration of up to 3g/L while furfural inhibited cell growth and lipid content by 72.0% and 62.0% at 1g/L, respectively. Our work demonstrates that lipid production is a promising alternative to utilize hemicellulosic sugars obtained during pretreatment of lignocellulosic materials.

Next-generation cellulosic ethanol technologies and their contribution to a sustainable Africa

The world is currently heavily dependent on oil, especially in the transport sector. However, rising oil prices, concern about environmental impact and supply instability are among the factors that have led to greater interest in renewable fuel and green chemistry alternatives. Lignocellulose is the only foreseeable renewable feedstock for sustainable production of transport fuels. The main technological impediment to more widespread utilization of lignocellulose for production of fuels and chemicals in the past has been the lack of low-cost technologies to overcome the recalcitrance of its structure. Both biological and thermochemical second-generation conversion technologies are currently coming online for the commercial production of cellulosic ethanol concomitantly with heat and electricity production. The latest advances in biological conversion of lignocellulosics to ethanol with a focus on consolidated bioprocessing are highlighted. Furthermore, integration of cellulosic ethanol production into existing bio-based industries also using thermochemical processes to optimize energy balances is discussed. Biofuels have played a pivotal yet suboptimal role in supplementing Africa's energy requirements in the past. Capitalizing on sub-Saharan Africa's total biomass potential and using second-generation technologies merit a fresh look at the potential role of bioethanol production towards developing a sustainable Africa while addressing food security, human needs and local wealth creation.

Xylose reductase from the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces emersonii: cloning and heterologous expression of the native gene (Texr) and a double mutant (TexrK271R + N273D) with altered coenzyme specificity

Xylose reductase is involved in the first step of the fungal pentose catabolic pathway. The gene encoding xylose reductase (Texr) was isolated from the thermophilic fungus Talaromyces emersonii, expressed in Escherichia coli and purified to homogeneity. Texr encodes a 320 amino acid protein with a molecular weight of 36 kDa, which exhibited high sequence identity with other xylose reductase sequences and was shown to be a member of the aldoketoreductase (AKR) superfamily with a preference for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) as coenzyme. Given the potential application of xylose reductase enzymes that preferentially utilize the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) rather than NADPH in the fermentation of five carbon sugars by genetically engineered microorganisms, the coenzyme selectivity of TeXR was altered by site-directed mutagenesis. The TeXR K271R+N273D double mutant displayed an altered coenzyme preference with a 16-fold improvement in NADH utilization relative to the wild type and therefore has the potential to reduce redox imbalance of xylose fermentation in recombinant S. cerevisiae strains. Expression of Texr was shown to be inducible by the same carbon sources responsible for the induction of genes encoding enzymes relevant to lignocellulose hydrolysis, suggesting a coordinated expression of intracellular and extracellular enzymes relevant to hydrolysis and metabolism of pentose sugars in T. emersonii in adaptation to its natural habitat. This indicates a potential advantage in survival and response to a nutrient-poor environment.

Cellulase production from spent lignocellulose hydrolysates by recombinant Aspergillus niger

A recombinant Aspergillus niger strain expressing the Hypocrea jecorina endoglucanase Cel7B was grown on spent hydrolysates (stillage) from sugarcane bagasse and spruce wood. The spent hydrolysates served as excellent growth media for the Cel7B-producing strain, A. niger D15[egI], which displayed higher endoglucanase activities in the spent hydrolysates than in standard medium with a comparable monosaccharide content (e.g., 2,100 nkat/ml in spent bagasse hydrolysate compared to 480 nkat/ml in standard glucose-based medium). In addition, A. niger D15[egI] was also able to consume or convert other lignocellulose-derived compounds, such as acetic acid, furan aldehydes, and phenolic compounds, which are recognized as inhibitors of yeast during ethanolic fermentation. The results indicate that enzymes can be produced from the stillage stream as a high-value coproduct in second-generation bioethanol plants in a way that also facilitates recirculation of process water.

Functional expression of a bacterial xylose isomerase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

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

Progress in metabolic engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The traditional use of the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae in alcoholic fermentation has, over time, resulted in substantial accumulated knowledge concerning genetics, physiology, and biochemistry as well as genetic engineering and fermentation technologies. S. cerevisiae has become a platform organism for developing metabolic engineering strategies, methods, and tools. The current review discusses the relevance of several engineering strategies, such as rational and inverse metabolic engineering, evolutionary engineering, and global transcription machinery engineering, in yeast strain improvement. It also summarizes existing tools for fine-tuning and regulating enzyme activities and thus metabolic pathways. Recent examples of yeast metabolic engineering for food, beverage, and industrial biotechnology (bioethanol and bulk and fine chemicals) follow. S. cerevisiae currently enjoys increasing popularity as a production organism in industrial ("white") biotechnology due to its inherent tolerance of low pH values and high ethanol and inhibitor concentrations and its ability to grow anaerobically. Attention is paid to utilizing lignocellulosic biomass as a potential substrate.

Engineering of xylose reductase and overexpression of xylitol dehydrogenase and xylulokinase improves xylose alcoholic fermentation in the thermotolerant yeast Hansenula polymorpha

BACKGROUND

The thermotolerant methylotrophic yeast Hansenula polymorpha is capable of alcoholic fermentation of xylose at elevated temperatures (45 - 48 degrees C). Such property of this yeast defines it as a good candidate for the development of an efficient process for simultaneous saccharification and fermentation. However, to be economically viable, the main characteristics of xylose fermentation of H. polymorpha have to be improved.

RESULTS

Site-specific mutagenesis of H. polymorpha XYL1 gene encoding xylose reductase was carried out to decrease affinity of this enzyme toward NADPH. The modified version of XYL1 gene under control of the strong constitutive HpGAP promoter was overexpressed on a Deltaxyl1 background. This resulted in significant increase in the KM for NADPH in the mutated xylose reductase (K341 --> R N343 --> D), while KM for NADH remained nearly unchanged. The recombinant H. polymorpha strain overexpressing the mutated enzyme together with native xylitol dehydrogenase and xylulokinase on Deltaxyl1 background was constructed. Xylose consumption, ethanol and xylitol production by the constructed strain were determined for high-temperature xylose fermentation at 48 degrees C. A significant increase in ethanol productivity (up to 7.3 times) was shown in this recombinant strain as compared with the wild type strain. Moreover, the xylitol production by the recombinant strain was reduced considerably to 0.9 mg x (L x h)-1 as compared to 4.2 mg x (L x h)-1 for the wild type strain.

CONCLUSION

Recombinant strains of H. polymorpha engineered for improved xylose utilization are described in the present work. These strains show a significant increase in ethanol productivity with simultaneous reduction in the production of xylitol during high-temperature xylose fermentation.

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

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

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

Background

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

Results

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

Conclusion

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

Identification of a novel NADH-specific aldo-keto reductase using sequence and structural homologies

The AKRs (aldo-keto reductases) are a superfamily of enzymes which mainly rely on NADPH to reversibly reduce various carbonyl-containing compounds to the corresponding alcohols. A small number have been found with dual NADPH/NADH specificity, usually preferring NADPH, but none are exclusive for NADH. Crystal structures of the dual-specificity enzyme xylose reductase (AKR2B5) indicate that NAD+ is bound via a key interaction with a glutamate that is able to change conformations to accommodate the 2'-phosphate of NADP+. Sequence comparisons suggest that analogous glutamate or aspartate residues may function in other AKRs to allow NADH utilization. Based on this, nine putative enzymes with potential NADH specificity were identified and seven genes were successfully expressed and purified from Drosophila melanogaster, Escherichia coli, Schizosaccharomyces pombe, Sulfolobus solfataricus, Sinorhizobium meliloti and Thermotoga maritima. Each was assayed for co-substrate dependence with conventional AKR substrates. Three were exclusive for NADPH (AKR2E3, AKR3F2 and AKR3F3), two were dual-specific (AKR3C2 and AKR3F1) and one was specific for NADH (AKR11B2), the first such activity in an AKR. Fluorescence measurements of the seventh protein indicated that it bound both NADPH and NADH but had no activity. Mutation of the aspartate into an alanine residue or a more mobile glutamate in the NADH-specific E. coli protein converted it into an enzyme with dual specificity. These results show that the presence of this carboxylate is an indication of NADH dependence. This should allow improved prediction of co-substrate specificity and provide a basis for engineering enzymes with altered co-substrate utilization for this class of enzymes.

Structural and kinetic studies of induced fit in xylulose kinase from Escherichia coli

The primary metabolic route for D-xylose, the second most abundant sugar in nature, is via the pentose phosphate pathway after a two-step or three-step conversion to xylulose-5-phosphate. Xylulose kinase (XK; EC 2.7.1.17) phosphorylates D-xylulose, the last step in this conversion. The apo and D-xylulose-bound crystal structures of Escherichia coli XK have been determined and show a dimer composed of two domains separated by an open cleft. XK dimerization was observed directly by a cryo-EM reconstruction at 36 A resolution. Kinetic studies reveal that XK has a weak substrate-independent MgATP-hydrolyzing activity, and phosphorylates several sugars and polyols with low catalytic efficiency. Binding of pentulose and MgATP to form the reactive ternary complex is strongly synergistic. Although the steady-state kinetic mechanism of XK is formally random, a path is preferred in which D-xylulose binds before MgATP. Modelling of MgATP binding to XK and the accompanying conformational change suggests that sugar binding is accompanied by a dramatic hinge-bending movement that enhances interactions with MgATP, explaining the observed synergism. A catalytic mechanism is proposed and supported by relevant site-directed mutants.

Co-utilization of L-arabinose and D-xylose by laboratory and industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

Background

Fermentation of lignocellulosic biomass is an attractive alternative for the production of bioethanol. Traditionally, the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is used in industrial ethanol fermentations. However, S. cerevisiae is naturally not able to ferment the pentose sugars D-xylose and L-arabinose, which are present in high amounts in lignocellulosic raw materials.

Results

We describe the engineering of laboratory and industrial S. cerevisiae strains to co-ferment the pentose sugars D-xylose and L-arabinose. Introduction of a fungal xylose and a bacterial arabinose pathway resulted in strains able to grow on both pentose sugars. Introduction of a xylose pathway into an arabinose-fermenting laboratory strain resulted in nearly complete conversion of arabinose into arabitol due to the L-arabinose reductase activity of the xylose reductase. The industrial strain displayed lower arabitol yield and increased ethanol yield from xylose and arabinose.

Conclusion

Our work demonstrates simultaneous co-utilization of xylose and arabinose in recombinant strains of S. cerevisiae. In addition, the co-utilization of arabinose together with xylose significantly reduced formation of the by-product xylitol, which contributed to improved ethanol production.

Engineering Candida tenuis Xylose reductase for improved utilization of NADH: antagonistic effects of multiple side chain replacements and performance of site-directed mutants under simulated in vivo conditions

Six single- and multiple-site variants of Candida tenuis xylose reductase that were engineered to have side chain replacements in the coenzyme 2'-phosphate binding pocket were tested for NADPH versus NADH selectivity (R(sel)) in the presence of physiological reactant concentrations. The experimental R(sel) values agreed well with predictions from a kinetic mechanism describing mixed alternative coenzyme utilization. The Lys-274-->Arg and Arg-280-->His substitutions, which individually improved wild-type R(sel) 50- and 20-fold, respectively, had opposing structural effects when they were combined in a double mutant.

Role of cultivation media in the development of yeast strains for large scale industrial use

The composition of cultivation media in relation to strain development for industrial application is reviewed. Heterologous protein production and pentose utilization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae are used to illustrate the influence of media composition at different stages of strain construction and strain development. The effects of complex, defined and industrial media are compared. Auxotrophic strains and strain stability are discussed. Media for heterologous protein production and for bulk bio-commodity production are summarized.

Comparative metabolic network analysis of two xylose fermenting recombinant Saccharomyces cerevisiae strains

The recombinant xylose fermenting strain Saccharomyces cerevisiae TMB3001 can grow on xylose, but the xylose utilisation rate is low. One important reason for the inefficient fermentation of xylose to ethanol is believed to be the imbalance of redox co-factors. In the present study, a metabolic flux model was constructed for two recombinant S. cerevisiae strains: TMB3001 and CPB.CR4 which in addition to xylose metabolism have a modulated redox metabolism, i.e. ammonia assimilation was shifted from being NADPH to NADH dependent by deletion of gdh1 and over-expression of GDH2. The intracellular fluxes were estimated for both strains in anaerobic continuous cultivations when the growth limiting feed consisted of glucose (2.5 g L-1) and xylose (13 g L-1). The metabolic network analysis with 13C labelled glucose showed that there was a shift in the specific xylose reductase activity towards use of NADH as co-factor rather than NADPH. This shift is beneficial for solving the redox imbalance and it can therefore partly explain the 25% increase in the ethanol yield observed for CPB.CR4. Furthermore, the analysis indicated that the glyoxylate cycle was activated in CPB.CR4.

The coenzyme specificity of Candida tenuis xylose reductase (AKR2B5) explored by site-directed mutagenesis and X-ray crystallography

CtXR (xylose reductase from the yeast Candida tenuis; AKR2B5) can utilize NADPH or NADH as co-substrate for the reduction of D-xylose into xylitol, NADPH being preferred approx. 33-fold. X-ray structures of CtXR bound to NADP+ and NAD+ have revealed two different protein conformations capable of accommodating the presence or absence of the coenzyme 2'-phosphate group. Here we have used site-directed mutagenesis to replace interactions specific to the enzyme-NADP+ complex with the aim of engineering the co-substrate-dependent conformational switch towards improved NADH selectivity. Purified single-site mutants K274R (Lys274-->Arg), K274M, K274G, S275A, N276D, R280H and the double mutant K274R-N276D were characterized by steady-state kinetic analysis of enzymic D-xylose reductions with NADH and NADPH at 25 degrees C (pH 7.0). The results reveal between 2- and 193-fold increases in NADH versus NADPH selectivity in the mutants, compared with the wild-type, with only modest alterations of the original NADH-linked xylose specificity and catalytic-centre activity. Catalytic reaction profile analysis demonstrated that all mutations produced parallel effects of similar magnitude on ground-state binding of coenzyme and transition state stabilization. The crystal structure of the double mutant showing the best improvement of coenzyme selectivity versus wild-type and exhibiting a 5-fold preference for NADH over NADPH was determined in a binary complex with NAD+ at 2.2 A resolution.

Heterologous expression, purification, and characterization of a highly active xylose reductase from Neurospora crassa

A xylose reductase (XR) gene was identified from the Neurospora crassa whole-genome sequence, expressed heterologously in Escherichia coli, and purified as a His6-tagged fusion in high yield. This enzyme is one of the most active XRs thus far characterized and may be used for the in vitro production of xylitol.

Molecular basis for anaerobic growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae on xylose, investigated by global gene expression and metabolic flux analysis

Yeast xylose metabolism is generally considered to be restricted to respirative conditions because the two-step oxidoreductase reactions from xylose to xylulose impose an anaerobic redox imbalance. We have recently developed, however, a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain that is at present the only known yeast capable of anaerobic growth on xylose alone. Using transcriptome analysis of aerobic chemostat cultures grown on xylose-glucose mixtures and xylose alone, as well as a combination of global gene expression and metabolic flux analysis of anaerobic chemostat cultures grown on xylose-glucose mixtures, we identified the distinguishing characteristics of this unique phenotype. First, the transcript levels and metabolic fluxes throughout central carbon metabolism were significantly higher than those in the parent strain, and they were most pronounced in the xylose-specific, pentose phosphate, and glycerol pathways. Second, differential expression of many genes involved in redox metabolism indicates that increased cytosolic NADPH formation and NADH consumption enable a higher flux through the two-step oxidoreductase reaction of xylose to xylulose in the mutant. Redox balancing is apparently still a problem in this strain, since anaerobic growth on xylose could be improved further by providing acetoin as an external NADH sink. This improved growth was accompanied by an increased ATP production rate and was not accompanied by higher rates of xylose uptake or cytosolic NADPH production. We concluded that anaerobic growth of the yeast on xylose is ultimately limited by the rate of ATP production and not by the redox balance per se, although the redox imbalance, in turn, limits ATP production.

Adaptive response of yeasts to furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural and new chemical evidence for HMF conversion to 2,5-bis-hydroxymethylfuran

Renewable lignocellulosic materials are attractive low-cost feedstocks for bioethanol production. Furfural and 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) are among the most potent inhibitory compounds generated from acid hydrolysis of lignocelluloses to simple sugars for fermentation. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae ATCC 211239 and NRRL Y-12632 and Pichia stipitis NRRL Y-7124, furfural and HMF inhibition were determined to be dose-dependent at concentrations from 10 to 120 mM. The yeast strains were more sensitive to inhibition by furfural than HMF at the same concentration, while combined treatment of furfural and HMF synergistically suppressed cell growth. A metabolite transformed from HMF by strain NRRL Y-12632 was isolated from the culture supernatant, and conclusively identified as 2,5-bis-hydroxymethylfuran, a previously postulated HMF alcohol, with a composition of C6H8O3 and a molecular weight of 128. It is proposed that, in the presence of HMF, the yeast reduces the aldehyde group on the furan ring of HMF into an alcohol, in a similar manner as for furfural. The accumulation of this biotransformed metabolite may be less toxic to yeast cultures than HMF, as evidenced by the rapid yeast fermentation and growth rates associated with HMF conversion. The ability of yeasts to adapt to and transform furfural and HMF offers the potential for in situ detoxification of these inhibitors and suggests a genetic basis for further development of highly tolerant strains for biofuel production.

Metabolic engineering of a phosphoketolase pathway for pentose catabolism in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

Low ethanol yields on xylose hamper economically viable ethanol production from hemicellulose-rich plant material with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A major obstacle is the limited capacity of yeast for anaerobic reoxidation of NADH. Net reoxidation of NADH could potentially be achieved by channeling carbon fluxes through a recombinant phosphoketolase pathway. By heterologous expression of phosphotransacetylase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase in combination with the native phosphoketolase, we installed a functional phosphoketolase pathway in the xylose-fermenting Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain TMB3001c. Consequently the ethanol yield was increased by 25% because less of the by-product xylitol was formed. The flux through the recombinant phosphoketolase pathway was about 30% of the optimum flux that would be required to completely eliminate xylitol and glycerol accumulation. Further overexpression of phosphoketolase, however, increased acetate accumulation and reduced the fermentation rate. By combining the phosphoketolase pathway with the ald6 mutation, which reduced acetate formation, a strain with an ethanol yield 20% higher and a xylose fermentation rate 40% higher than those of its parent was engineered.

Structure of xylose reductase bound to NAD+ and the basis for single and dual co-substrate specificity in family 2 aldo-keto reductases

The co-ordinates reported have been submitted to the Protein Data Bank under accession number 1MI3. Xylose reductase (XR; AKR2B5) is an unusual member of aldo-keto reductase superfamily, because it is one of the few able to efficiently utilize both NADPH and NADH as co-substrates in converting xylose into xylitol. In order to better understand the basis for this dual specificity, we have determined the crystal structure of XR from the yeast Candida tenuis in complex with NAD(+) to 1.80 A resolution (where 1 A=0.1 nm) with a crystallographic R -factor of 18.3%. A comparison of the NAD(+)- and the previously determined NADP(+)-bound forms of XR reveals that XR has the ability to change the conformation of two loops. To accommodate both the presence and absence of the 2'-phosphate, the enzyme is able to adopt different conformations for several different side chains on these loops, including Asn(276), which makes alternative hydrogen-bonding interactions with the adenosine ribose. Also critical is the presence of Glu(227) on a short rigid helix, which makes hydrogen bonds to both the 2'- and 3'-hydroxy groups of the adenosine ribose. In addition to changes in hydrogen-bonding of the adenosine, the ribose unmistakably adopts a 3'- endo conformation rather than the 2'- endo conformation seen in the NADP(+)-bound form. These results underscore the importance of tight adenosine binding for efficient use of either NADH or NADPH as a co-substrate in aldo-keto reductases. The dual specificity found in XR is also an important consideration in designing a high-flux xylose metabolic pathway, which may be improved with an enzyme specific for NADH.

A modified Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain that consumes L-Arabinose and produces ethanol

Metabolic engineering is a powerful method to improve, redirect, or generate new metabolic reactions or whole pathways in microorganisms. Here we describe the engineering of a Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain able to utilize the pentose sugar L-arabinose for growth and to ferment it to ethanol. Expanding the substrate fermentation range of S. cerevisiae to include pentoses is important for the utilization of this yeast in economically feasible biomass-to-ethanol fermentation processes. After overexpression of a bacterial L-arabinose utilization pathway consisting of Bacillus subtilis AraA and Escherichia coli AraB and AraD and simultaneous overexpression of the L-arabinose-transporting yeast galactose permease, we were able to select an L-arabinose-utilizing yeast strain by sequential transfer in L-arabinose media. Molecular analysis of this strain, including DNA microarrays, revealed that the crucial prerequisite for efficient utilization of L-arabinose is a lowered activity of L-ribulokinase. Moreover, high L-arabinose uptake rates and enhanced transaldolase activities favor utilization of L-arabinose. With a doubling time of about 7.9 h in a medium with L-arabinose as the sole carbon source, an ethanol production rate of 0.06 to 0.08 g of ethanol per g (dry weight). h(-1) under oxygen-limiting conditions, and high ethanol yields, this yeast strain should be useful for efficient fermentation of hexoses and pentoses in cellulosic biomass hydrolysates.