Fermentation strategies for 1,3-propanediol production from glycerol using a genetically engineered Klebsiella pneumoniae strain to eliminate by-product formation

• Published in: Bioprocess and biosystems engineering Vol. 35; no. 1-2; pp. 159 - 165
• Main Authors: Oh, Baek-Rock, Seo, Jeong-Woo, Heo, Sun-Yeon, Hong, Won-Kyung, Luo, Lian Hua, Son, Jun Ho, Park, Don-Hee, Kim, Chul-Ho
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer-Verlag 2012; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Acetates - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Bioreactors; Biotechnology; By products; Byproducts; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; Environmental Engineering/Biotechnology; Fermentation; Food Science; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Genetic engineering; Genetic Enhancement - methods; Glycerol - isolation & purification; Glycerol - metabolism; Industrial and Production Engineering; Industrial Chemistry/Chemical Engineering; Klebsiella pneumoniae - physiology; Methods. Procedures. Technologies; Microbial engineering. Fermentation and microbial culture technology; Original Paper; Propylene Glycols - metabolism; Two-stage fermentation; Glycerol; By-product formation; 1,3-Propanediol; Nutrient co-supplementation; Fermentation; Klebsiella pneumoniae · 1,3-Propanediol; Production; Bacteria; Nutrient; Genetic engineering; Propanediol; Klebsiella pneumoniae; Enterobacteriaceae
• ISSN: 1615-7591; 1615-7605
• DOI: 10.1007/s00449-011-0603-2

We generated a genetically engineered Klebsiella pneumoniae strain (AK-VOT) to eliminate by-product formation during production of 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PD) from glycerol. In the present study, the glycerol-metabolizing properties of the recombinant strain were examined during fermentation in a 5 L bioreactor. As expected, by-product formation was completely absent (except for acetate) when the AK-VOT strain fermented glycerol. However, 1,3-PD productivity was severely reduced owing to a delay in cell growth attributable to a low rate of glycerol consumption. This problem was solved by establishing a two-stage process separating cell growth from 1,3-PD production. In addition, nutrient co-supplementation, especially with starch, significantly increased 1,3-PD production from glycerol during fed-batch fermentation by AK-VOT in the absence of by-product formation.