Xylose utilizing Zymomonas mobilis with improved ethanol production in biomass hydrolysate medium

• US 8,569,458 B2
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Issued: 10/29/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 12/17/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sustainable Technology Corporation
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Caimi, Perry G., Hitz, William D, Viitanen, Paul V, Stieglitz, Barry
• Primary Examiner(s): NOAKES, SUZANNE MARIE
• Application Number:
  US13/795,148
• Publication Number:
  US 20130177958A1
• Time in Patent Office: 231 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 530/350
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/20 Bacteria; Culture media therefor
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 15/74 Vectors or expression systems specially adapted for prokaryotic hosts other than E. coli, e.g. Lactobacillus, Micromonospora
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/065 with microorganisms other than yeasts
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/10 substrate containing cellulosic material
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 50/10 Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel

Abstract

Xylose-utilizing, ethanol producing strains of Zymomonas mobilis with improved performance in medium comprising biomass hydrolysate were isolated using an adaptation process. Independently isolated strains were found to have independent mutations in the same coding region. Mutation in this coding may be engineered to confer the improved phenotype.

Claims

1. A polypeptide having the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO:

3 and SEQ ID NO;

4.

2. A method of the production of ethanol comprising:

a) providing a recombinant Zymomonas comprising a polvpeptide having the amino acid sequence selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO;

3 and SEQ ID NO;

4

b) providing a biomass hydrolysate medium comprising xylose; and

c) growing the Zymomonas of a) in the biomass hydrolysate medium of b) wherein ethanol is produced.