Abstract
BackgroundEfficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol is one of key challenges in the situation of increasing bioethanol demand. The ethanologenic microbes for such conversion are required to possess abilities of utilization of various sugars including xylose and arabinose in lignocellulosic biomass. As required additional characteristics, there are a weak or no glucose repression that allows cells to simultaneously utilize various sugars together with glucose and thermotolerance for fermentation at high temperatures, which has several advantages including reduction of cooling cost. Spathaspora passalidarum ATCC MYA-4345, a type strains, isolated previously have mainly of these abilities or characteristics but its thermotolerance is not so strong and its glucose repression on xylose utilization is revealed.ResultsNewly isolated S. passalidarum CMUWF1–2 was found to have a high ability to produce ethanol from various sugars included in lignocellulosic biomass at high temperatures. The strain achieved ethanol yields of 0.43 g, 0.40 g and 0.20 g ethanol/g xylose at 30 °C, 37 °C and 40 °C, respectively. Interestingly, no significant glucose repression was observed in experiments with mixed sugars, being consistent with the strong resistance to 2-deoxyglucose, and antimycin A showed no effect on its growth in xylose medium. Moreover, the strain was tolerant to glucose and ethanol at concentrations up to 35.0% (w/v) and 8.0% (v/v), respectively.ConclusionsS. passalidarum CMUWF1–2 was shown to achieve efficient production of ethanol from various sugars and a high ethanol yield from xylose with little accumulation of xylitol. The strain also exhibited stress-resistance including thermotolerance and no detectable glucose repression as beneficial characteristics. Therefore, S. passalidarum CMUWF1–2 has remarkable potential for conversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol.
Highlights
Efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol is one of key challenges in the situation of increasing bioethanol demand
The growth ability of CMUWF1–2 was examined at various temperatures in comparison with those of S. stipitis and K. marxianus, which are widely known for their abilities to rapidly ferment xylose [19] and to assimilate xylose at high temperatures [13], respectively (Fig. 1c)
Growth of CMUWF1–2 was more obvious at 30°C and 37°C but it could grow at high temperatures, even at 42°C, exhibiting the property of thermotolerance
Summary
Efficient bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass to bioethanol is one of key challenges in the situation of increasing bioethanol demand. The ethanologenic microbes for such conversion are required to possess abilities of utilization of various sugars including xylose and arabinose in lignocellulosic biomass. There are a weak or no glucose repression that allows cells to simultaneously utilize various sugars together with glucose and thermotolerance for fermentation at high temperatures, which has several advantages including reduction of cooling cost. Spathaspora passalidarum ATCC MYA-4345, a type strains, isolated previously have mainly of these abilities or characteristics but its thermotolerance is not so strong and its glucose repression on xylose utilization is revealed. One problem is the low conversion efficiency of pentose sugars in fermenting microbes, and xylose, which is the most abundant pentose sugar in hemicellulose, cannot be utilized by wild-type Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which has long been used for ethanol production in industries [5]
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