ABSTRACT: Clostridium ljungdahlii derives energy by acetogenesis as a lithotrophic pathway and as part of various organotrophic pathways. Its recently sequenced genome has made it possible to discover changes in gene expression that occur in different growth modes, from which strategies for biofuel production may be developed. C. ljungdahlii was grown with fructose as an organoheterotrophic substrate and also lithoautotrophically, either on syngas or with H2 as the electron donor and CO2 as the electron acceptor. RNA extracted from all three conditions was analyzed by hybridization to a microarray, and gene expression was compared quantitatively by RNA-Seq of C. ljungdahlii grown with fructose and with H2 and CO2. Results. Strongly upregulated (> 10-fold, p < 0.05) genes with both syngas and H2/CO2 encode enzymes that degrade aspartate and arginine through the urea cycle to control the release of ammonia from amino acids. Numerous genes for uptake and degradation of peptides and amino acids, response to sulfur starvation, and molybdopterin-dependent pathways were also significantly (> 2-fold, p < 0.05) upregulated, along with three potentially NADPH-producing pathways for which the key metabolites are (S)-malate, ornithine and 6-phospho-D-gluconate. Upregulation of genes implicated in quorum sensing, sporulation and cell wall remodeling suggests a global and multicellular response to lithoautotrophic conditions. With syngas, (R)-lactate dehydrogenase and associated electron transfer flavoproteins were upregulated, representing a route of electron transfer from ferredoxin to NAD that is independent of the proton-translocating Rnf complex. With H2/CO2, a flavodoxin and histidine biosynthesis enzymes were upregulated. Genes for degradation of purine bases entering the cell by facilitated diffusion were upregulated in lithotrophic cells, whereas genes for degradation of adenine or adenosine derivatives entering by active transport were significantly (2-fold, p < 0.05) downregulated. The most downregulated genes, after those specific to fructose metabolism, encode enzymes of pyrimidine and purine biosynthesis, arginine fermentation to ornithine, threonine biosynthesis and phosphate uptake. Genes for biogenesis of an intracytoplasmic microcompartment were downregulated, within which (S)-1,2-propanediol dehydratase and other enzymes may dispose of methylglyoxal, a toxic byproduct of glycolysis, as 1-propanol. Several redox-active proteins, both cytoplasmic and membrane-associated, and predicted cell surface proteins were identified as differentially regulated. Conclusion. The transcriptomic profiles of C. ljungdahlii in lithoautotrophic and organoheterotrophic growth modes indicate large-scale physiological and metabolic differences, observations that may guide the production of biofuels and commodity chemicals with this species.
