Construction of an Escherichia coli K-12 Mutant for Homoethanologenic Fermentation of Glucose or Xylose without Foreign Genes

• DOI: 10.1128/aem.02456-06
• Publication Date: 2007-01-27T01:34:07Z
• Authors: Youngnyun Kim; L. O. Ingram; K. T. Shanmugam
• Keywords: Zymomonas mobilis; Pentose; Pyruvate decarboxylase

Conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks to ethanol requires microorganisms that effectively ferment both hexose and pentose sugars. Towards this goal, recombinant organisms have been developed in which heterologous genes were added platform such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Zymomonas mobilis, Escherichia coli. Using a novel approach relies only on native enzymes, we homoethanologenic alternative, coli strain SE2378. This mutant ferments glucose or xylose with yield 82% under anaerobic conditions. An essential mutation was mapped within the pdh operon (pdhR aceEF lpd), encodes components pyruvate dehydrogenase complex. Anaerobic production by is apparently result pathway combines activities (typically active during aerobic, oxidative metabolism) fermentative alcohol dehydrogenase.