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Title: Metabolic engineering of Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824 for increased solvent production by enhancement of acetone formation enzyme activities using a synthetic acetone operon

Journal Article · · Biotechnology and Bioengineering; (United States)
;  [1]; ;  [2]
  1. Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States). Dept. of Chemical Engineering
  2. Rice Univ., Houston, TX (United States)

The ability to genetically alter the product-formation capabilities of Clostridium acetobutylicum is necessary for continued progress toward industrial production of the solvents, butanol and acetone, by fermentation. Batch fermentations at pH 4.5, 5.5, or 6.5 were conducted using C. acetobutylicum ATCC 824 (pFNK6). Plasmid pFNK6 contains a synthetic operon (the ace operon'') in which the three homologous acetone-formation genes (adc, ctfA, and ctfB) are transcribed from the adc promoter. The corresponding enzymes (acetoacetate decarboxylase and CoA-transferase) were best expressed in pH 4.5 fermentations. However, the highest levels of solvents were attained at pH 5.5. Relative to the plasmid-free control strain at pH 5.5, ATCC 824 (pFNK6) produced 95%, 37%, and 90% higher final concentrations of acetone, butanol, and ethanol, respectively; a 50% higher yield (g/g) of solvents on glucose; and a 22-fold lower mass of residual carboxylic acids. At all pH values, the acetone-formation enzymes were expressed earlier with ATCC 824 (pFNK6) than in control fermentations, leading to earlier induction of acetone formation.

OSTI ID:
5891282
Journal Information:
Biotechnology and Bioengineering; (United States), Vol. 42:9; ISSN 0006-3592
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English