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Transcriptional analysis of adaptation to high glucose concentrations in Zymomonas mobilis

  • Bioenergy and biofuels
  • Published:
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Abstract

The ethanologenic bacterium Zymomonas mobilis is usually tolerant to high concentrations of glucose. The addition of sorbitol decreases the lag phase and increases ethanol yield and productivity of the bacteria in high glucose concentrations. The molecular mechanisms of adaptation to high glucose concentrations and the effect of sorbitol are still unclear. In this study, microarray analysis was used to study the global transcriptional adaptation responses of Z. mobilis to high glucose concentrations. A total of 235 genes were differentially expressed when 220 g/L glucose was added with or without 10 mM sorbitol. These genes are involved in diverse aspects of cell metabolism and regulation, including membrane transporters, nitrogen metabolism, and plasmid-encoded genes. However, most differentially expressed genes were downregulated when sorbitol was added. Notably, the transcription of almost all genes involved in the Entner-Doudoroff and ethanol production pathways was not significantly affected. In addition, a prophage and a nitrogen-fixation cluster were significantly induced. These results revealed that Z. mobilis cells responded to high glucose concentrations by regulating the transcriptional levels of genes related to membrane channels and transporters, stress response mechanisms, and metabolic pathways. These data provide insight into the intracellular adaptation responses to high glucose concentrations and reveal strategies to engineer efficient ethanol fermentation in Z. mobilis.

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Acknowledgments

Research support was provided by grants from National Technology Support of China with project No. 2007BAC18B04.

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The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. The Key Laboratory for Bio-Resources and Eco-Environment of Ministry of Education, Sichuan Key Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Sichuan University, Chengdu, 610064, China

    Kun Zhang, Huanhuan Shao, Qinghua Cao & Hong Feng

  2. Biomass Energy Technology Research Centre, Biogas Institute of Ministry of Agriculture, Section 4-13, Renming Nanlu, Chengdu, 610041, China

    Ming-xiong He & Bo Wu

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  1. Kun Zhang
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  2. Huanhuan Shao
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  3. Qinghua Cao
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  4. Ming-xiong He
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  5. Bo Wu
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  6. Hong Feng
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Correspondence to Hong Feng.

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Zhang, K., Shao, H., Cao, Q. et al. Transcriptional analysis of adaptation to high glucose concentrations in Zymomonas mobilis . Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 99, 2009–2022 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00253-014-6342-y

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