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Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to utilize xylan as a sole carbohydrate source by co-expression of an endoxylanase, xylosidase and a bacterial xylose isomerase

  • Bioenergy/Biofuels/Biochemicals
  • Published:
Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology

Abstract

Xylan represents a major component of lignocellulosic biomass, and its utilization by Saccharomyces cerevisiae is crucial for the cost effective production of ethanol from plant biomass. A recombinant xylan-degrading and xylose-assimilating Saccharomyces cerevisiae strain was engineered by co-expression of the xylanase (xyn2) of Trichoderma reesei, the xylosidase (xlnD) of Aspergillus niger, the Scheffersomyces stipitis xylulose kinase (xyl3) together with the codon-optimized xylose isomerase (xylA) from Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron. Under aerobic conditions, the recombinant strain displayed a complete respiratory mode, resulting in higher yeast biomass production and consequently higher enzyme production during growth on xylose as carbohydrate source. Under oxygen limitation, the strain produced ethanol from xylose at a maximum theoretical yield of ~90 %. This study is one of only a few that demonstrates the construction of a S. cerevisiae strain capable of growth on xylan as sole carbohydrate source by means of recombinant enzymes.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank the National Research Foundation (NRF) for financial support to the Chair of Energy Research: Biofuels and other clean alternative fuels (Grant Number UID 86423 awarded to WHvZ).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, University of Stellenbosch, Private Bag X1, Matieland, 7602, South Africa

    Marlin John Mert, Shaunita Hellouise Rose & Willem Heber van Zyl

  2. Department of Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology, University of Limpopo, Private Bag X1106, Sovenga, 0727, South Africa

    Daniël Coenrad la Grange

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  1. Marlin John Mert
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Correspondence to Willem Heber van Zyl.

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Mert, M.J., la Grange, D.C., Rose, S.H. et al. Engineering of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to utilize xylan as a sole carbohydrate source by co-expression of an endoxylanase, xylosidase and a bacterial xylose isomerase. J Ind Microbiol Biotechnol 43, 431–440 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-015-1727-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10295-015-1727-1

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