Propionate Production from Carbon Monoxide by Synthetic Cocultures of Acetobacterium wieringae and Propionigenic Bacteria. 2021

João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
Centre of Biological Engineering, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.

Gas fermentation is a promising way to convert CO-rich gases to chemicals. We studied the use of synthetic cocultures composed of carboxydotrophic and propionigenic bacteria to convert CO to propionate. So far, isolated carboxydotrophs cannot directly ferment CO to propionate, and therefore, this cocultivation approach was investigated. Four distinct synthetic cocultures were constructed, consisting of Acetobacterium wieringae (DSM 1911T) and Pelobacter propionicus (DSM 2379T), Ac. wieringae (DSM 1911T) and Anaerotignum neopropionicum (DSM 3847T), Ac. wieringae strain JM and P. propionicus (DSM 2379T), and Ac. wieringae strain JM and An. neopropionicum (DSM 3847T). Propionate was produced by all the cocultures, with the highest titer (∼24 mM) being measured in the coculture composed of Ac. wieringae strain JM and An. neopropionicum, which also produced isovalerate (∼4 mM), butyrate (∼1 mM), and isobutyrate (0.3 mM). This coculture was further studied using proteogenomics. As expected, enzymes involved in the Wood-Ljungdahl pathway in Ac. wieringae strain JM, which are responsible for the conversion of CO to ethanol and acetate, were detected; the proteome of An. neopropionicum confirmed the conversion of ethanol to propionate via the acrylate pathway. In addition, proteins related to amino acid metabolism and stress response were highly abundant during cocultivation, which raises the hypothesis that amino acids are exchanged by the two microorganisms, accompanied by isovalerate and isobutyrate production. This highlights the importance of explicitly looking at fortuitous microbial interactions during cocultivation to fully understand coculture behavior. IMPORTANCE Syngas fermentation has great potential for the sustainable production of chemicals from wastes (via prior gasification) and flue gases containing CO/CO2. Research efforts need to be directed toward expanding the product portfolio of gas fermentation, which is currently limited to mainly acetate and ethanol. This study provides the basis for a microbial process to produce propionate from CO using synthetic cocultures composed of acetogenic and propionigenic bacteria and elucidates the metabolic pathways involved. Furthermore, based on proteomics results, we hypothesize that the two bacterial species engage in an interaction that results in amino acid exchange, which subsequently promotes isovalerate and isobutyrate production. These findings provide a new understanding of gas fermentation and a coculturing strategy for expanding the product spectrum of microbial conversion of CO/CO2.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D011422 Propionates Derivatives of propionic acid. Included under this heading are a broad variety of acid forms, salts, esters, and amides that contain the carboxyethane structure. Propanoate,Propanoic Acid,Propionate,Propanoates,Propanoic Acid Derivatives,Propanoic Acids,Propionic Acid Derivatives,Propionic Acids,Acid, Propanoic,Acids, Propanoic,Acids, Propionic,Derivatives, Propanoic Acid,Derivatives, Propionic Acid
D002248 Carbon Monoxide Carbon monoxide (CO). A poisonous colorless, odorless, tasteless gas. It combines with hemoglobin to form carboxyhemoglobin, which has no oxygen carrying capacity. The resultant oxygen deprivation causes headache, dizziness, decreased pulse and respiratory rates, unconsciousness, and death. (From Merck Index, 11th ed) Monoxide, Carbon
D005285 Fermentation Anaerobic degradation of GLUCOSE or other organic nutrients to gain energy in the form of ATP. End products vary depending on organisms, substrates, and enzymatic pathways. Common fermentation products include ETHANOL and LACTIC ACID. Fermentations
D001426 Bacterial Proteins Proteins found in any species of bacterium. Bacterial Gene Products,Bacterial Gene Proteins,Gene Products, Bacterial,Bacterial Gene Product,Bacterial Gene Protein,Bacterial Protein,Gene Product, Bacterial,Gene Protein, Bacterial,Gene Proteins, Bacterial,Protein, Bacterial,Proteins, Bacterial
D045855 Acetobacterium A genus of gram-negative bacteria in the family Eubacteriaceae. Species are homoacetogenic, having the ability to use CARBON DIOXIDE as an electron sink, and to reduce it producing acetate as a typical fermentation product.
D018920 Coculture Techniques A technique of culturing mixed cell types in vitro to allow their synergistic or antagonistic interactions, such as on CELL DIFFERENTIATION or APOPTOSIS. Coculture can be of different types of cells, tissues, or organs from normal or disease states. Cocultivation,Co-culture,Coculture,Co culture,Co-cultures,Cocultivations,Coculture Technique,Cocultures
D019346 Sodium Acetate The trihydrate sodium salt of acetic acid, which is used as a source of sodium ions in solutions for dialysis and as a systemic and urinary alkalizer, diuretic, and expectorant. Sodium Acetate Trihydrate,Sodium Acetate, Anhydrous
D020543 Proteome The protein complement of an organism coded for by its genome. Proteomes
D020564 Deltaproteobacteria A group of PROTEOBACTERIA represented by morphologically diverse, anaerobic sulfidogens. Some members of this group are considered bacterial predators, having bacteriolytic properties. delta Proteobacteria,Proteobacteria delta

Related Publications

João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
June 1973, Biochimica et biophysica acta,
João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
December 1972, Journal of bacteriology,
João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
December 2022, mBio,
João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
August 2022, International microbiology : the official journal of the Spanish Society for Microbiology,
João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
January 2021, Frontiers in microbiology,
João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
February 2023, Biotechnology for biofuels and bioproducts,
João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
December 2016, Genome announcements,
João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
January 2023, Environmental science & technology,
João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
January 1983, International review of cytology,
João P C Moreira, and Martijn Diender, and Ana L Arantes, and Sjef Boeren, and Alfons J M Stams, and M Madalena Alves, and Joana I Alves, and Diana Z Sousa
February 2013, American journal of reproductive immunology (New York, N.Y. : 1989),
Copied contents to your clipboard!