Influence of dilution rate and dissolved oxygen concentration on continuous keto acid production by Gluconobacter oxydans subsp. melanogenum

Microbial D-xylonate production

d-Xylonic acid is a versatile platform chemical with reported applications as complexing agent or chelator, in dispersal of concrete, and as a precursor for compounds such as co-polyamides, polyesters, hydrogels and 1,2,4-butanetriol. With increasing glucose prices, d-xylonic acid may provide a cheap, non-food derived alternative for gluconic acid, which is widely used (about 80 kton/year) in pharmaceuticals, food products, solvents, adhesives, dyes, paints and polishes. Large-scale production has not been developed, reflecting the current limited market for d-xylonate. d-Xylonic acid occurs naturally, being formed in the first step of oxidative metabolism of d-xylose by some archaea and bacteria via the action of d-xylose or d-glucose dehydrogenases. High extracellular concentrations of d-xylonate have been reported for various bacteria, in particular Gluconobacter oxydans and Pseudomonas putida. High yields of d-xylonate from d-xylose make G. oxydans an attractive choice for biotechnical production. G. oxydans is able to produce d-xylonate directly from plant biomass hydrolysates, but rates and yields are reduced because of sensitivity to hydrolysate inhibitors. Recently, d-xylonate has been produced by the genetically modified bacterium Escherichia coli and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Kluyveromyces lactis. Expression of NAD⁺-dependent d-xylose dehydrogenase of Caulobacter crescentus in either E. coli or in a robust, hydrolysate-tolerant, industrial Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain has resulted in d-xylonate titres, which are comparable to those seen with G. oxydans, at a volumetric rate approximately 30 % of that observed with G. oxydans. With further development, genetically modified microbes may soon provide an alternative for production of d-xylonate at industrial scale.

The genus Gluconobacter and its applications in biotechnology

Organisms of the genus Gluconobacter have been widely utilized within the biotechnology industry for many decades, due to their unique metabolic characteristics. The metabolic features that render Gluconobacter so useful in biotransformation processes, vitamin synthesis, and, as the biological element in sensor systems, are critically evaluated, and the relevance of recent biochemical genetic studies to current and future industrial Gluconobacter processes is discussed. The impact of recombinant gene technology on the status of Gluconobacter processes and the potential use of such techniques in clarifying aspects of the physiology of Gluconobacter is reviewed.

Intergeneric protoplast fusion between Gluconobacter oxydans and Corynebacterium species

Intergeneric protoplast fusion between 2,5-diketo-gluconic acid producing Gluconobacter oxydans (ATCC 9937) and a mutant strain of Corynebacterium species (ATCC 31090), capable of reducing 2,5-diketo-gluconic acid to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, a penultimate step in vitamin C production) resulted in viable recombinants. Some of the fusion products exhibited the capacity to convert D-glucose to 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, but the conversion rate is low.