Adaptation of Dekkera bruxellensis to lignocellulose-based substrate.

Adaptation of Dekkera bruxellensis to lignocellulose hydrolysate was investigated. Cells of D. bruxellensis were grown for 72 and 192 H in batch and continuous culture, respectively (adapted cells). Cultivations in semisynthetic medium were run as controls (nonadapted cells). To test the adaptation, cells from these cultures were reinoculated in the lignocellulose medium, and growth and ethanol production characteristics were monitored. Cells adapted to lignocellulose hydrolysate had a shorter lag phase, grew faster, and produced a higher ethanol concentration as compared with nonadapted cells. A stability test showed that after cultivation in rich medium, cells partially lost the adapted phenotype but still showed faster growth and higher ethanol production as compared with nonadapted cells. Because alcohol dehydrogenase genes have been described to be involved in the adaptation to furfural in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, an analogous mechanism of adaptation to lignocelluloses hydrolysate of D. bruxellensis was hypothesized. However, gene expression analysis showed that genes homologous to S. cerevisiae ADH1 were not involved in the adaptation to lignocelluloses hydrolysate in D. bruxellensis.

Fermentative and growth performances of Dekkera bruxellensis in different batch systems and the effect of initial low cell counts in co-cultures with Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Dekkera bruxellensis is a multifaceted yeast present in the fermentative processes used for alcoholic beverage and fuel alcohol production - in the latter, normally regarded as a contaminant. We evaluated the fermentation and growth performance of a strain isolated from water in an alcohol-producing unit, in batch systems with/without cell recycling in pure and co-cultures with Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The ethanol resistance and aeration dependence for ethanol/acid production were verified. Ethanol had an effect on the growth of D. bruxellensis in that it lowered or inhibited growth depending on the concentration. Acid production was verified in agitated cultures either with glucose or sucrose, but more ethanol was produced with glucose in agitated cultures. Regardless of the batch system, low sugar consumption and alcohol production and expressive growth were found with D. bruxellensis. Despite a similar ethanol yield compared to S. cerevisiae in the batch system without cell recycling, ethanol productivity was approximately four times lower. However, with cell recycling, ethanol yield was almost half that of S. cerevisiae. At initial low cell counts of D. bruxellensis (10 and 1000 cells/ml) in co-cultures with S. cerevisiae, a decrease in fermentative efficiency and a substantial growth throughout the fermentative cycles were displayed by D. bruxellensis. Due to the peculiarity of cell repitching in Brazilian fermentation processes, D. bruxellensis is able to establish itself in the process, even when present in low numbers initially, substantially impairing bioethanol production due to the low ethanol productivity, in spite of comparable ethanol yields.