Reduction of furfural to furfuryl alcohol by ethanologenic strains of bacteria and its effect on ethanol production from xylose

Tony Gutierrez, M L Buszko, L O Ingram, J F Preston

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

72 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The ethanologenic bacteria Escherichia coli strains KO11 and LY01, and Klebsiella oxytoca strain P2, were investigated for their ability to metabolize furfural. Using high performance liquid chromatography and C-13-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, furfural was found to be completely biotransformed into furfuryl alcohol by each of the three strains with tryptone and yeast extract as sole carbon sources. This reduction appears to be constitutive with NAD(P)H acting as electron donor. Glucose was shown to be an effective source of reducing power. Succinate inhibited furfural reduction, indicating that flavins are unlikely participants in this process. Furfural at concentrations >10 mM decreased the rate of ethanol formation but did not affect the final yield. Insight into the biochemical nature of this furfural reduction process may help efforts to mitigate furfural toxicity during ethanol production by ethanologenic bacteria.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)327-340
Number of pages14
JournalAPPL BIOCHEM BIOTECH
Issue number8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2002

Keywords

  • SACCHAROMYCES-CEREVISIAE
  • ENZYMATIC PRODUCTION
  • STRICTLY ANAEROBIC BACTERIUM
  • Biochemistry & Molecular Biology
  • Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
  • ESCHERICHIA-COLI
  • GROWTH
  • ALDEHYDE REDUCTASE
  • ACID
  • BATCH FERMENTATION
  • ETHYL 4-CHLORO-3-OXOBUTANOATE
  • CONVERSION

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