Overcoming inefficient cellobiose fermentation by cellobiose phosphorylase in the presence of xylose.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Cellobiose and xylose co-fermentation holds promise for efficiently producing biofuels from plant biomass. Cellobiose phosphorylase (CBP), an intracellular enzyme generally found in anaerobic bacteria, cleaves cellobiose to glucose and glucose-1-phosphate, providing energetic advantages under the anaerobic conditions required for large-scale biofuel production. However, the efficiency of CBP to cleave cellobiose in the presence of xylose is unknown. This study investigated the effect of xylose on anaerobic CBP-mediated cellobiose fermentation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Results

Yeast capable of fermenting cellobiose by the CBP pathway consumed cellobiose and produced ethanol at rates 61% and 42% slower, respectively, in the presence of xylose than in its absence.

SUBMITTER: Chomvong K 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4061319 | biostudies-literature | 2014

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature