The production of 1,3-propanediol from mixtures of glycerol and glucose by a Klebsiella pneumoniae mutant deficient in carbon catabolite repression

Abstract

In the present study, mutant strain of Klebsiella pneumoniae with deletion of the crr gene encoding EIIAGlc (a component of the glucose-specific phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent transferase system [PTS]) was prepared. This eliminated the ability of the strain to mediate carbon catabolite repression (CCR). Production of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) from glycerol by the crr mutant strain was enhanced (compared to that of the parent) in the presence of glucose. Using molasses as a co-substrate of glycerol, the maximum yield of 1,3-PD was 60.4% greater (81.2g/l) than that obtained when glycerol was used alone, under optimum fermentation conditions.