Biotransformation of dl-lactate to pyruvate by a newly isolated Serratia marcescens ZJB-07166

Chemoenzymatic conversion of glycerol to lactic acid and glycolic acid

Catalytic valorization of raw glycerol derived from biodiesel into high-value chemicals has attracted great attention. Here, we report chemoenzymatic cascade reactions that convert glycerol to lactic acid and glycolic acid. In the enzymatic step, a coenzyme recycling system was developed to convert glycerol into 1,3-dihydroxyacetone (DHA) with a yield of 92.3% in potassium phosphate buffer (300 mM, pH 7.1) containing 100 mM glycerol, 2 mM NAD+, 242 U/mL glycerol dehydrogenase-GldA and NADH oxidase-SpNoxK184R at 30 °C. Subsequently, NaOH or NaClO2 catalyzes the formation of lactic acid and glycolic acid from DHA. The high yield of lactic acid (72.3%) and glycolic acid (78.2%) verify the benefit of the chemoenzymatic approaches.

Isolation and characterization of pyrene and benzo[a]pyrene-degrading Klebsiella pneumonia PL1 and its potential use in bioremediation

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are hard to degrade, are the main pollutants in the environment. Degradation of PAHs in the environment is becoming more necessary and urgent. In the current study, strain PL1 with degradation capability of pyrene (PYR) and benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) was isolated from soil and identified as Klebsiella pneumoniae by morphological and physiological characteristics as well as 16S rDNA sequence. With the presence of 20 mg L⁻¹ PYR and 10 mg L⁻¹ BaP in solution, the strain PL1 could degrade 63.4 % of PYR and 55.8 % of BaP in 10 days, respectively. The order of biodegradation of strain PL1 was pH 7.0 > pH 8.0 > pH 10.0 > pH 6.0 > pH 5.0. Strain PL1 degradation ability varied in different soil. The half-life of PYR in soil was respectively 16.9, 24.9, and 88.9 days in paddy soil, red soil, and fluvo-aquic soil by PL1 degradation; however, the half-lives of BaP were respectively 9.5, 9.5, and 34.0 days in paddy soil, red soil, and fluvo-aquic soil by PL1 degradation. The results demonstrate that the degradation capability on PYR and BaP by PL1 in paddy soil was relatively good, and K. pneumoniae PL1 was the new degradation bacterium of PYR and BaP. K. pneumoniae PL1 has potential application in PAH bioremediation.

Efficient production of pyruvate from DL-lactate by the lactate-utilizing strain Pseudomonas stutzeri SDM

BACKGROUND

The platform chemical lactate is currently produced mainly through the fermentation of sugars presented in biomass. Besides the synthesis of biodegradable polylactate, lactate is also viewed as a feedstock for the green chemistry of the future. Pyruvate, another important platform chemical, can be produced from lactate through biocatalysis.

METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS

It was established that whole cells of Pseudomonas stutzeri SDM catalyze lactate oxidation with lactate-induced NAD-independent lactate dehydrogenases (iLDHs) through the inherent electron transfer chain. Unlike the lactate oxidation processes observed in previous reports, the mechanism underlying lactate oxidation described in the present study excluded the costliness of the cofactor regeneration step and production of the byproduct hydrogen peroxide.

CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE

Biocatalysis conditions were optimized by using the cheap dl-lactate as the substrate and whole cells of the lactate-utilizing P. stutzeri SDM as catalyst. Under optimal conditions, the biocatalytic process produced pyruvate at a high concentration (48.4 g l(-1)) and a high yield (98%). The bioconversion system provides a promising alternative for the green production of pyruvate.