Browsing by Author "Niess, Alexander"

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    Electron availability in CO2, CO and H2 mixtures constrains flux distribution, energy management and product formation in Clostridium ljungdahlii
    (2020) Hermann, Maria; Teleki, Attila; Weitz, Sandra; Niess, Alexander; Freund, Andreas; Bengelsdorf, Frank R.; Takors, Ralf
    Acetogens such as Clostridium ljungdahlii can play a crucial role reducing the human CO2 footprint by converting industrial emissions containing CO2, CO and H2 into valuable products such as organic acids or alcohols. The quantitative understanding of cellular metabolism is a prerequisite to exploit the bacterial endowments and to fine-tune the cells by applying metabolic engineering tools. Studying the three gas mixtures CO2 + H2, CO and CO + CO2 + H2 (syngas) by continuously gassed batch cultivation experiments and applying flux balance analysis, we identified CO as the preferred carbon and electron source for growth and producing alcohols. However, the total yield of moles of carbon (mol-C) per electrons consumed was almost identical in all setups which underlines electron availability as the main factor influencing product formation. The Wood–Ljungdahl pathway (WLP) showed high flexibility by serving as the key NAD+ provider for CO2 + H2, whereas this function was strongly compensated by the transhydrogenase-like Nfn complex when CO was metabolized. Availability of reduced ferredoxin (Fdred) can be considered as a key determinant of metabolic control. Oxidation of CO via carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CODH) is the main route of Fdred formation when CO is used as substrate, whereas Fdred is mainly regenerated via the methyl branch of WLP and the Nfn complex utilizing CO2 + H2. Consequently, doubled growth rates, highest ATP formation rates and highest amounts of reduced products (ethanol, 2,3-butanediol) were observed when CO was the sole carbon and electron source.
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    Identifying and engineering bottlenecks of autotrophic isobutanol formation in recombinant C. ljungdahlii by systemic analysis
    (2021) Hermann, Maria; Teleki, Attila; Weitz, Sandra; Niess, Alexander; Freund, Andreas; Bengelsdorf, Frank Robert; Dürre, Peter; Takors, Ralf
    Clostridium ljungdahlii (C. ljungdahlii, CLJU) is natively endowed producing acetic acid, 2,3-butandiol, and ethanol consuming gas mixtures of CO2, CO, and H2 (syngas). Here, we present the syngas-based isobutanol formation using C. ljungdahlii harboring the recombinant amplification of the “Ehrlich” pathway that converts intracellular KIV to isobutanol. Autotrophic isobutanol production was studied analyzing two different strains in 3-L gassed and stirred bioreactors. Physiological characterization was thoroughly applied together with metabolic profiling and flux balance analysis. Thereof, KIV and pyruvate supply were identified as key “bottlenecking” precursors limiting preliminary isobutanol formation in CLJU[KAIA] to 0.02 g L-1. Additional blocking of valine synthesis in CLJU[KAIA]:ilvE increased isobutanol production by factor 6.5 finally reaching 0.13 g L-1. Future metabolic engineering should focus on debottlenecking NADPH availability, whereas NADH supply is already equilibrated in the current generation of strains.