Enterococcus faecium QU 50: a novel thermophilic lactic acid bacterium for high-yield l-lactic acid production from xylose

Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman; Yukihiro Tashiro; Takeshi Zendo; Kenji Sakai; Kenji Sonomoto

doi:10.1093/femsle/fnu030

Enterococcus faecium QU 50: a novel thermophilic lactic acid bacterium for high-yield l-lactic acid production from xylose

FEMS Microbiol Lett. 2015 Jan;362(2):1-7. doi: 10.1093/femsle/fnu030. Epub 2014 Dec 4.

Authors

Mohamed Ali Abdel-Rahman¹, Yukihiro Tashiro², Takeshi Zendo³, Kenji Sakai⁴, Kenji Sonomoto⁵

Affiliations

¹ Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Division of Systems Bioengineering, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan Botany and Microbiology Department, Faculty of Science (Boys branch), Al-Azhar University, PN:11884, Nasr City, Cairo, Egypt.
² Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Division of Systems Bioengineering, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, Japan, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan Institute of Advanced Study, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
³ Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Division of Systems Bioengineering, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
⁴ Laboratory of Soil Microbiology, Division of Systems Bioengineering, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, Japan, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan.
⁵ Laboratory of Microbial Technology, Division of Systems Bioengineering, Department of Bioscience and Biotechnology, Faculty of Agriculture, Graduate School, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan Laboratory of Functional Food Design, Department of Functional Metabolic Design, Bio-Architecture Center, Kyushu University, 6-10-1 Hakozaki, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka 812-8581, Japan sonomoto@agr.kyushu-u.ac.jp.

PMID: 25670701
DOI: 10.1093/femsle/fnu030

Abstract

Production of optically pure lactic acid from lignocellulosic material for commercial purposes is hampered by several difficulties, including heterofermentation of pentose sugars and high energy consumption by mesophilic lactic acid bacteria. Here, we report a novel lactic acid bacterium, strain QU 50, that has the potential to produce optically pure l-lactic acid (≥99.2%) in a homofermentative manner from xylose under thermophilic conditions. Strain QU 50 was isolated from Egyptian fertile soil and identified as Enterococcus faecium QU 50 by analyzing its sugar fermentation pattern and 16S rRNA gene sequence. Enterococcus faecium QU 50 fermented xylose efficiently to produce lactic acid over wide pH (6.0-10.0) and temperature ranges (30-52°C), with a pH of 6.5 and temperature of 50°C being optimal. To our knowledge, this is the first report of homofermentative lactic acid production from xylose by a thermophilic lactic acid bacterium.

Keywords: Lactate fermentation; biomass utilization; biorefinery; high temperature; homofermenters; pentose.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Biomass
Egypt
Enterococcus faecium / isolation & purification
Enterococcus faecium / metabolism*
Fermentation
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
Lactic Acid / metabolism*
Lignin / metabolism
RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / genetics
Soil Microbiology*
Temperature
Xylose / metabolism*

Substances

RNA, Ribosomal, 16S
lignocellulose
Lactic Acid
Lignin
Xylose