Abstract
Zymomonas mobilis has been metabolically engineered to broaden its substrate utilization range to include d-xylose and l-arabinose. Both genomically integrated and plasmid-bearing Z. mobilis strains that are capable of fermenting the pentose d-xylose have been created by incorporating four genes: two genes encoding xylose utilization metabolic enzymes (xylA/xylB) and two genes encoding pentose phosphate pathway enzymes (talB/tktA). We have characterized the activities of the four newly introduced enzymes for xylose metabolism, along with those of three native glycolytic enzymes, in two different xylose-fermenting Z. mobilis strains. These strains were grown on glucose-xylose mixtures in computer-controlled fermentors. Samples were collected and analyzed to determine extracellular metabolite concentrations as well as the activities of several intracellular enzymes in the xylose and glucose uptake and catabolism pathways. These measurements provide new insights on the possible bottlenecks in the engineered metabolic pathways and suggest methods for further improving the efficiency of xylose fermentation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Lawford, H. G. (1988), Appl. Biochem. Biotechol. 17, 203–219.
Zhang, M., Eddy, C., Deana, K., Finkelstein, M., and Picataggio, S. (1995), Science 267, 240–243.
Deanda, K., Zhang, M., Eddy, C., and Picataggio, S. (1996), Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 62, 4465–4470.
Zhang, M. and Chou, Y.-C. (2000), Stable Zymomonas mobilis xylose and arabinosefermenting strains, US patent pending.
Lawford, H. G., Rousseau, J. D., Mohagheghi, A., and McMillan J. D. (1999), Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 77–79, 191–204.
Eliasson, A., Boles, E., Johansson, B., Österberg, M., Thevelein, J. M., Spencer-Martins, I., Juhnke, H., and Hahn-Hägerdal, B. (2000), Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 53, 376–382.
de Graaf, A. A., Striegel, K., Wittig, R. M., Laufer, B., Schmidt, G., Wiechert, W., Sprenger, G. A., and Sahm, H. (1999), Arch. Microbiol. 171, 371–385.
Sprenger, G. A., Schörken, U., Sprenger, G., and Sahm, H. (1995), Eur. J. Biochem. 230, 525–532.
Algar, E. M. and Scopes, R. K. (1985), J. Biotechnol. 2, 275–287.
Joachimsthal, E. L. and Rogers, P. L. (2000), Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 84–86, 343–356.
Kim, I. S., Barrow, K. D., and Rogers, P. L. (2000), Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 84–86, 357–370.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Gao, Q., Zhang, M., McMillan, J.D. et al. Characterization of heterologous and native enzyme activity profiles in metabolically engineered Zymomonas mobilis strains during batch fermentation of glucose and xylose mixtures. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 98, 341–355 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1385/ABAB:98-100:1-9:341
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1385/ABAB:98-100:1-9:341