Production of cellulase by Trichoderma reesei from pretreated straw and furfural residues.

In this study, furfural residues were used as a substrate for cellulase production by the fungi Trichoderma reesei. The results indicated that a low pH and the presence of lignin in the furfural residues have an obvious impact on cellulase production by T. reesei. After pH adjustment, furfural residues could be used for cellulase production by T. reesei, with a higher filter paper activity (FPA) and a higher activity of CMCase compared to that yielded from furfural residues with pH unadjusted. After being washed with 1.6% (w/v) H2O2, all of the lignin in the furfural residues was removed, and an FPA of 7.1 FPU ml-1 and a CMCase activity of 3.4 IU ml-1 were obtained in 115 h, while pretreated straw could yield an FPA of 8.0 FPU ml-1 and a CMCase activity of 2.7 IU ml-1 in 160 h. Moreover, after being treated with H2O2, furfural residues could be used as an inducer in the production of cellulases. With the treated furfural residues added into the medium at the beginning of cultivation, T. reesei gave the maximum FPA (8.4 FPU ml-1) and CMCase activity (4.8 IU ml-1) at 142 h from pretreated straw, which is relatively high for cellulase production compared to that from most other agricultural wastes reported.

Direct conversion of inulin and extract of tubers of Jerusalem artichoke into single cell oil by co-cultures of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa TJY15a and immobilized inulinase-producing yeast cells.

In this study, it was found that the immobilized inulinase-producing cells of Pichia guilliermondii M-30 could produce 169.3 U/ml of inulinase activity while the free cells of the same yeast strain only produced 124.3 U/ml of inulinase activity within 48 h. When the immobilized inulinase-producing yeast cells were co-cultivated with the free cells of Rhodotorula mucilaginosa TJY15a, R. mucilaginosa TJY15a could accumulate 53.2% oil from inulin in its cells and cell dry weight reached 12.2g/l. Under the similar conditions, R. mucilaginosa TJY15a could accumulate 55.4% (w/w) oil from the extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers in its cells and cell dry weight reached 12.8 g/l within 48 h. When the co-cultures were grown in 2l fermentor, R. mucilaginosa TJY15a could accumulate 56.6% (w/w) oil from the extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers in its cells and cell dry weight reached 19.6g/l within 48 h. Over 90.0% of the fatty acids from the yeast strain TJY15a grown in the extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers was C(16:0), C(18:1) and C(18:2), especially C(18:1) (50.6%).

Biotechnological potential of inulin for bioprocesses.

Inulin consists of linear chains of ß-2,1-linked D-fructofuranose molecules terminated by a glucose residue through a sucrose-type linkage at the reducing end. In this review article, inulin and its applications in bioprocesses are overviewed. The tubers of many plants, such as Jerusalem artichoke, chicory, dahlia, and yacon contain a large amount of inulin. Inulin can be actively hydrolyzed by microbial inulinases to produce fructose, glucose and inulooligosaccharides (IOS). The fructose and glucose formed can be further transformed into ethanol, single-cell protein, single cell oil and other useful products by different microorganisms. IOS formed have many functions. Therefore, inulin can be widely used in food, feed, pharmaceutical, chemical and biofuels industries.

Expression of inulinase gene in the oleaginous yeast Yarrowia lipolytica and single cell oil production from inulin-containing materials.

Yarrowia lipolytica ACA-DC 50109 has been reported to be an oleaginous yeast and significant quantities of lipids were accumulated inside the yeast cells. In this study, the INU1 gene encoding exo-inulinase cloned from Kluyveromyces marxianus CBS 6556 was ligated into the expression plasmid pINA1317 and expressed in the cells of the oleaginous yeast. The activity of the inulinase with 6 × His tag secreted by the transformant Z31 obtained was found to be 41.7U mL(-1) after cell growth for 78 h. After optimization of the medium and cultivation conditions for single cell oil production, the transformant could accumulate 46.3% (w/w) oil from inulin in its cells and cell dry weight was 11.6 g L(-1) within 78 h at the flask level. During the 2-L fermentation, the transformant could accumulate 48.3% (w/w) oil from inulin in its cells and cell dry weight was 13.3 g L(-1) within 78 h while the transformant could accumulate 50.6% (w/w) oil from extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubers in its cells and cell dry weight was 14.6 g L(-1) within 78 h. At the end of fermentation, most of the added sugar was utilized by the transformant cells. Over 91.5% of the fatty acids from the transformant cultivated in the extract of Jerusalem artichoke tubercles was C(16:0), C(18:1) and C(18:2), especially C(18:1) (58.5%).

Single cell protein production from yacon extract using a highly thermosensitive and permeable mutant of the marine yeast Cryptococcus aureus G7a and its nutritive analysis.

The intracellular protein in the highly thermosensitive and permeable mutant can be easily released when they are incubated both in the low-osmolarity water and at the non-permissive temperature (usually 37 degrees C). After the mutant was grown in the yacon extract for 45 h, the crude protein content in the highly thermosensitive and permeable mutant Z114 was 59.1% and over 61% of the total protein could be released from the cells treated at 37 degrees C. The mutant cells grown in the yacon extract still contained high level of essential amino acids and other nutrients. This means that the yacon extract could be used as the medium for growth of the highly thermosensitive and permeable mutant which contained high content of crude protein.