Ethanol production from N-acetyl-d-glucosamine by Scheffersomyces stipitis strains

• Published in: AMB Express Vol. 6; no. 1; pp. 83 - 7
• Main Authors: Inokuma, Kentaro, Hasunuma, Tomohisa, Kondo, Akihiko
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 03.10.2016; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biotechnology; Life Sciences; Microbial Genetics and Genomics; Microbiology; Original; Original Article; Pichia stipitis; Bioconversion; acetylglucosamine; Non-conventional yeast; Chitin; Ethanol; N-acetylglucosamine; Scheffersomyces stipitis
• ISSN: 2191-0855; 2191-0855
• DOI: 10.1186/s13568-016-0267-z

N -acetyl- d -glucosamine (GlcNAc) is the building block of chitin, which is one of the most abundant renewable resources in nature after cellulose. Therefore, a microorganism that can utilize GlcNAc is necessary for chitin-based biorefinery. In this study, we report on the screening and characterization of yeast strains for bioethanol production from GlcNAc. We demonstrate that Scheffersomyces ( Pichia ) stipitis strains can use GlcNAc as the sole carbon source and produce ethanol. S. stipitis NBRC1687, 10007, and 10063 strains consumed most of the 50 g/L GlcNAc provided, and produced 14.5 ± 0.6, 15.0 ± 0.3, and 16.4 ± 0.3 g/L of ethanol after anaerobic fermentation at 30 °C for 96 h. The ethanol yields of these strains were approximately 81, 75, and 82 % (mol ethanol/mol GlcNAc consumed), respectively. Moreover, S. stipitis NBRC10063 maintained high GlcNAc-utilizing capacity at 35 °C, and produced 12.6 ± 0.7 g/L of ethanol after 96 h. This strain also achieved the highest ethanol titer (23.3 ± 1.0 g/L) from 100 g/L GlcNAc. To our knowledge, this is the first report on ethanol production via fermentation of GlcNAc by naturally occurring yeast strains.