Dataset Information

Industrial robustness: understanding the mechanism of tolerance for the Populus hydrolysate-tolerant mutant strain of Clostridium thermocellum.

ABSTRACT:

Background

An industrially robust microorganism that can efficiently degrade and convert lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol and next-generation fuels is required to economically produce future sustainable liquid transportation fuels. The anaerobic, thermophilic, cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum is a candidate microorganism for such conversions but it, like many bacteria, is sensitive to potential toxic inhibitors developed in the liquid hydrolysate produced during biomass processing. Microbial processes leading to tolerance of these inhibitory compounds found in the pretreated biomass hydrolysate are likely complex and involve multiple genes.

Methodology/principal findings

In this study, we developed a 17.5% v/v Populus hydrolysate tolerant mutant strain of C. thermocellum by directed evolution. The genome of the wild type strain, six intermediate population samples and seven single colony isolates were sequenced to elucidate the mechanism of tolerance. Analysis of the 224 putative mutations revealed 73 high confidence mutations. A longitudinal analysis of the intermediate population samples, a pan-genomic analysis of the isolates, and a hotspot analysis revealed 24 core genes common to all seven isolates and 8 hotspots. Genetic mutations were matched with the observed phenotype through comparison of RNA expression levels during fermentation by the wild type strain and mutant isolate 6 in various concentrations of Populus hydrolysate (0%, 10%, and 17.5% v/v).

Conclusion/significance

The findings suggest that there are multiple mutations responsible for the Populus hydrolysate tolerant phenotype resulting in several simultaneous mechanisms of action, including increases in cellular repair, and altered energy metabolism. To date, this study provides the most comprehensive elucidation of the mechanism of tolerance to a pretreated biomass hydrolysate by C. thermocellum. These findings make important contributions to the development of industrially robust strains of consolidated bioprocessing microorganisms.

SUBMITTER: Linville JL

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3804516 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Industrial robustness: understanding the mechanism of tolerance for the Populus hydrolysate-tolerant mutant strain of Clostridium thermocellum.

Linville Jessica L JL Rodriguez Miguel M Land Miriam M Syed Mustafa H MH Engle Nancy L NL Tschaplinski Timothy J TJ Mielenz Jonathan R JR Cox Chris D CD

PloS one 20131021 10

<h4>Background</h4>An industrially robust microorganism that can efficiently degrade and convert lignocellulosic biomass into ethanol and next-generation fuels is required to economically produce future sustainable liquid transportation fuels. The anaerobic, thermophilic, cellulolytic bacterium Clostridium thermocellum is a candidate microorganism for such conversions but it, like many bacteria, is sensitive to potential toxic inhibitors developed in the liquid hydrolysate produced during biomas ...[more]

PMID: 24205326

Similar Datasets

Project description:Clostridium thermocellum is a candidate for cellulosic ethanol production. It expresses enzymes for both cellulose solubilization and its fermentation to produce lignocellulosic ethanol. Understanding how this organism regulates gene expression is of importance for developing a better fundamental understanding of this industrial relevant bacterium. We are primarily interested in gene regulation by three predicted LacI regulators. A previous report of one LacI regulator in C. thermocellum ATCC27405 (Cthe_2808) indicated this was a transcriptional repressor of neighboring genes with repressor activity relieved in the presence of laminaribiose (a β-1,3 disaccharide). The current work is aimed at understanding if a homolog of this LacI transcriptional regulator in C. thermocellum DSM1313 and two others putatively characterized as LacI regulators are in fact global regulatory proteins with extensive regulons or, if like the majority of LacI transcription factors, the regulation is limited to local genomic regions. Each of the three LacI regulators was deleted in C. thermocellum DSM1313. Genome re-sequencing was used to confirm the deletion and ensure nonspecific recombination events were avoided during the gene deletion strategy. Growth of each strain on cellobiose was unaffected by any of the gene deletions under pH controlled fermentations. Global gene expression patterns taken at mid-log phase for each strain identified glycoside hydrolase genes encoding hemicellulases, including cellulosomal enzymes, that were highly up-regulated (up to 9 fold) in the absence of each LacI regulator. Thus suggesting these were repressed under wild type conditions. Electrophoretic mobility shift assays have confirmed LacI transcription factor binding to specific regions of gene promoters with putative motifs ranging from 16-18 bp. Work is ongoing to confirm the specific binding motif recognized by the two previously un-characterized transcription factors and assess the occurrence of this motif in the C. thermocellum DSM1313 genome. The identification of LacI repressor activity on hemicellulose gene expression is a key result of this work and will add to the small body of existing literature on the area of gene regulation in C. thermocellum.

Project description:The thermophilic anaerobe Clostridium thermocellum is a candidate consolidated bioprocessing (CBP) biocatalyst for cellulosic ethanol production. It expresses enzymes for both cellulose solubilization and its fermentation to produce lignocellulosic ethanol. To gain insights into the C. thermocellum genes, using an updated version of the C. thermocellum ATCC 27405 genome annotation, that are required for specific growth on the cellulosic feedstocks of either pretreated switchgrass or Populus, duplicate fermentations were conducted with a 5 g/L solid substrate loading. High quality RNA was extracted using a method we report for C. thermocellum grown on solid substrates. Transcriptome profiles were obtained at two time points during actively growing fermentations (12 h and 37 h post inoculation). A comparison of two transcriptomic analytical techniques, microarray and RNAseq, was performed and the data analyzed for statistical significance. When thresholds for genes passing significance of FDR>0.05 were applied, microarray (2351 genes) had a greater number of significant genes relative to RNA-seq (280 genes when normalized by KDMM). When a 2-fold difference in expression threshold was applied, seventy-three genes were significantly differentially expressed in common between the two techniques. We identified genes differentially expressed when C. thermocellum ATC 27405 was grown on the two biomass substrates, with two putative efflux/transport systems highly differentially regulated (>5-fold). This study has revealed consistency between these two transcriptomics analytical platforms that gives confidence in our switch from the DNA microarray platform to an RNAseq based platform for routine transcriptomics analyses. To gain insights into the C. thermocellum genes, using an updated version of the C. thermocellum ATCC 27405 genome annotation, that are required for specific growth on the cellulosic feedstocks of either pretreated switchgrass or Populus, duplicate fermentations were conducted with a 5 g/L solid substrate loading. High quality RNA was extracted using a method we report for C. thermocellum grown on solid substrates. Transcriptome profiles were obtained at two time points during actively growing fermentations (12 h and 37 h post inoculation). A comparison of two transcriptomic analytical techniques, microarray and RNAseq, was performed and the data analyzed for statistical significance.

Dataset Information

Industrial robustness: understanding the mechanism of tolerance for the Populus hydrolysate-tolerant mutant strain of Clostridium thermocellum.

Background

Methodology/principal findings

Conclusion/significance

Publications

Industrial robustness: understanding the mechanism of tolerance for the Populus hydrolysate-tolerant mutant strain of Clostridium thermocellum.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure