End-product pathways in the xylose fermenting bacterium, Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2008

Abstract

Key enzymes involved in end-product formation were identified in Thermoanaerobacterium saccharolyticum JW/SL-YS485, a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium under consideration as a biological catalyst for the conversion of cellulosic biomass to ethanol. Based on enzymatic assays and genome sequence analyses, pathways were identified that would lead to the generation of all major products from xylose fermentation: lactate, acetate, ethanol, hydrogen, and carbon dioxide. Pyruvate ferredoxin oxidoreductase is the primary pyruvate decarboxylating enzyme, producing carbon dioxide, reduced ferredoxin, and acetyl-CoA, and ferredoxin is likely oxidized by a specific hydrogenase. It is concluded that enzymes are present in this organism that could theoretically produce ethanol from carbohydrates at high yield. © 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Publication Title

Enzyme and microbial technology

Volume

42

First Page

453

Last Page

458

Comments

This article was published in Enzyme and microbial technology, Volume 42, Issue 6, Pages 453-458.

The published version is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.enzmictec.2008.01.005.

Copyright © 2008 Elsevier.

This document is currently not available here.

COinS