[Elimination of succinate and acetate synthesis in recombinant Escherichia coli for D-lactate production].

When Escherichia coli CICIM B0013-030 (B0013, ack-pta, pps, pflB) was used for D-lactate production, succinate and acetate were the main byproducts (as much as 11.9 and 7.1% the amount of lactate respectively). In order to decrease the byproduct levels, we inactivated succinate and acetate synthesis in B0013-030. Two recombinant plasmids containing mutation cassettes of frdA::difGm and tdcDE::difGm respectively were constructed first. The mutation cassettes were used to delete the target genes on the chromosomal by Red recombination. Subsequently, the antibiotic resistance gene was excised from the chromosomal by Xer recombination. Thereby, mutants B0013-040B (B0013-030, frdA) and B0013-050B (B0013-040B, tdcDE) were produced. D-lactate producing abilities of the engineered strains were tested both in shake flasks and in bioreactors using two-phase fermentation (aerobic growth and anaerobic fermentation) with glucose as the sole carbon source. When fermentation was carried out in shake flasks, inactivation of frdA in B0013-030 to produce B0013-040B reduced succinate accumulation by 80.8%. When tested in a 7-liter bioreactor, B0013-040B accumulated 114.5 g/L D-lactate of over 99.9% optical purity. However, 1.0 g/L succinate and 5.4 g/L acetate still remained in the broth. Further inactivation of tdcD and tdcE genes in B0013-040B to produce B0013-050B decreased acetate and succinate accumulation to 0.4 g/L and 0.4 g/L respectively, and lactate titer was as much as 111.9 g/L (tested in the 7-liter bioreactor). In lightof the lower byproduct levels and high lactate production, strain B00 13-050B may prove useful for D-lactate production.

Gene cloning, heterologous expression, and characterization of a high maltose-producing α-amylase of Rhizopus oryzae.

A putative α-amylase gene, designated as RoAmy, was cloned from Rhizopus oryzae. The deduced amino acid sequence showed the highest (42.8%) similarity to the α-amylase from Trichoderma viride. The RoAmy gene was successfully expressed in Pichia pastoris GS115 under the induction of methanol. The molecular weight of the purified RoAmy determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was approximately 48 kDa. The optimal pH and temperature were 4-6 and 60 °C, respectively. The enzyme was stable at pH ranges of 4.5-6.5 and temperatures below 50 °C. Purified RoAmy had a K(m) and V(max) of 0.27 mg/ml and 0.068 mg/min, respectively, with a specific activity of 1,123 U/mg on soluble starch. Amylase activity was strongly inhibited by 5 mM Cu(2+) and 5 mM Fe(2+), whereas 5 mM Ca(2+) showed no significant effect. The RoAmy hydrolytic activity was the highest on wheat starch but showed only 55% activity on amylopectin relative to soluble corn starch, while the pullulanase activity was negligible. The main end products of the polysaccharides tested were glucose and maltose. Maltose reached a concentration of 74% (w/w) with potato starch as the substrate. The enzyme had an extremely high affinity (K(m) = 0.22 mM) to maltotriose. A high ratio of glucose/maltose of 1:4 was obtained when maltotriose was used at an initial concentration of 40 mM.

Evaluation of genetic manipulation strategies on D-lactate production by Escherichia coli.

In order to rationally manipulate the cellular metabolism of Escherichia coli for D: -lactate production, single-gene and multiple-gene deletions with mutations in acetate kinase (ackA), phosphotransacetylase (pta), phosphoenolpyruvate synthase (pps), pyruvate formate lyase (pflB), FAD-binding D-lactate dehydrogenase (dld), pyruvate oxidase (poxB), alcohol dehydrogenase (adhE), and fumarate reductase (frdA) were tested for their effects in two-phase fermentations (aerobic growth and oxygen-limited production). Lactate yield and productivity could be improved by single-gene deletions of ackA, pta, pflB, dld, poxB, and frdA in the wild type E. coli strain but were unfavorably affected by deletions of pps and adhE. However, fermentation experiments with multiple-gene mutant strains showed that deletion of pps in addition to ackA-pta deletions had no effect on lactate production, whereas the additional deletion of adhE in E. coli B0013-050 (ackA-pta pps pflB dld poxB) increased lactate yield. Deletion of all eight genes in E. coli B0013 to produce B0013-070 (ackA-pta pps pflB dld poxB adhE frdA) increased lactate yield and productivity by twofold and reduced yields of acetate, succinate, formate, and ethanol by 95, 89, 100, and 93%, respectively. When tested in a bioreactor, E. coli B0013-070 produced 125 g/l D-lactate with an increased oxygen-limited lactate productivity of 0.61 g/g h (2.1-fold greater than E. coli B0013). These kinetic properties of D-lactate production are among the highest reported and the results have revealed which genetic manipulations improved D-lactate production by E. coli.

High yield recombinant thermostable alpha-amylase production using an improved Bacillus licheniformis system.

BACKGROUND: Some strains of Bacillus licheniformis have been improved by target-directed screening as well as by classical genetic manipulation and used in commercial thermostable alpha-amylase and alkaline protease production for over 40 years. Further improvements in production of these enzymes are desirable. RESULTS: A new strain of B. licheniformis CBBD302 carrying a recombinant plasmid pHY-amyL for Bacillus licheniformis alpha-amylase (BLA) production was constructed. The combination of target-directed screening and genetic recombination led to an approximately 26-fold improvement of BLA production and export in B. licheniformis. Furthermore, a low-cost fermentation medium containing soybean meal and cottonseed meal for BLA production in shake-flasks and in a 15 liter bioreactor was developed and a BLA concentration of up to 17.6 mg per ml growth medium was attained. CONCLUSION: This production level of BLA by B. licheniformis CBBD302(pHY-amyL) is amongst the highest levels in Gram-positive bacteria reported so far.