Regulation of alcohol fermentation by Escherichia coli

Technical Report · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1989

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/7279319· OSTI ID:7279319

Clark, D P

The purpose of this project is to elucidate the way in which the fermentative synthesis of ethanol is regulated in the facultative anaerobe Escherichia coli. We are also investigating the control of other genes required for fermentation and anaerobic growth. We have isolated both structural and regulatory mutations affecting the expression of alcohol dehydrogenase, the enzyme responsible for the final step in alcohol synthesis. Some of these regulatory mutations also affect other anaerobically induced genes. The adh gene has been cloned and sequenced. The ADH protein is one of the largest highly expressed proteins in E. coli and requires approximately 2700bp of DNA for its cloning sequence. We have also isolated mutations affecting the fermentative lactate dehydrogenase. In consequence it is now possible to construct E. coli strains defective in the production of any one or more of their normal fermentation products (i.e. formate, acetate, lactate, ethanol and succinate). The factors affecting the ratio of fermentation products are being investigated by in vivo NMR spectroscopy.

• Research Organization: Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale, IL (United States). Dept. of Microbiology
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-88ER13941
• OSTI ID: 7279319
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/13941-2; ON: DE92016870
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
ALCOHOL DEHYDROGENASE
DNA SEQUENCING
ESCHERICHIA COLI
FERMENTATION
GENE REGULATION
LACTATE DEHYDROGENASE
PROGRESS REPORT
BACTERIA
BIOCONVERSION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ENZYMES
HEMIACETAL DEHYDROGENASES
MICROORGANISMS
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDOREDUCTASES
PROTEINS
STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
550200* - Biochemistry
550700 - Microbiology