Appl Biochem Biotechnol 2015 Dec 16;177(8):1690-700. Epub 2015 Sep 16.
Microbial Cell Factory Laboratory, Bioresources Technology Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, 113, Phahonyothin Road, Khlong Nueng, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand.
Scheffersomyces stipitis strain BCC15191 is considered as a biotechnologically valuable yeast for its ability to ferment glucose and xylose, the main sugar components in plant biomass, to ethanol. However, the wild strain lacks of endogenous cellulases and hemicellulases that limited biomass utilization. In order to improve biomass degrading ability of S. stipitis BCC15191, new integrative plasmids harboring constitutive TEF1 promoter and codon-optimized zeocin or hygromycin antibiotic resistance genes were developed. Aspergillus niger endoxylanase and Aspergillus aculeatus endoglucanase activities were demonstrated in transformant cells expressing codon-optimized genes. S. stipitis co-expressing endoxylanase and endoglucanase was able to grow in medium containing xylan and β-glucan as carbon sources and directly produced ethanol with yields of 2.7 g/L. It could also use pretreated corncob as a carbon source for ethanol production. These results suggested that recombinant S. stipilis is possible for consolidated bioprocessing of biomass.