Abstract
Acetic acid acts to promote uncoupling withZymomonas. At pH 5, 36% of acetic acid is in the uncharged and undissociated form (HAc), which is able to permeate the plasma membrane. The transmembrane ΔpH drives the accumulation of acetic acid, which results in the acidification of the cytoplasm. The consequential increase in maintenance metabolism represents a diversion of energy that would otherwise be available for growth. At pH 5, the growth ofZ. mobilis (ATCC 29191) was 50% inhibited with 8.3 g/L acetic acid (50 mM HAc) and completely inhibited by 11 g/L. Addition of 6 g/L acetic acid caused the glucose-to-ethanol conversion efficiency to decrease from 98 to 90% of theoretical maximum. The growth yield coefficient for glucose was 50% decreased by 2.3 g/L acetic acid (13.5 mM HAc) from 0.036 to 0.018 g cell/g glucose. However, the specific (ethanol) productivity of batch cultures was enhanced by <5 g/L acetic acid (<30 mM HAc). For continuous cultures, the acetic acid sensitivity depends on the growth rate (dilution rate), but an increase in specific productivity can be achieved at proportionately lower concentrations of acetic acid. At a growth rate of 0.112/h, the addition of 1.7 g/L acetic acid to the 5% glucose feed resulted in an increase in specific productivity from 2.68 to 5.87 g ethanol/g cell/h. The uncoupling effect of acetic acid could be beneficial in terms of improving the productivity in closed, continuous fermentations, such as cell recycle or immobilized cell reactors.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
Abbreviations
- D:
-
dilution rate (h−1)
- HAc:
-
undissociated acetic acid
- μ:
-
specific growth rate (h−1)
- Y xls :
-
growth yield coefficient (g dry wt cells/g glucose)
- Yp/s :
-
product yield (g ethanol/g glucose)
- Qp :
-
volumetric productivity (g ethanol/L/h)
- qp :
-
specific productivity (g ethanol/g cell/h)
References
Wright, J. D. (1988),Chem. Eng. Progress 84, 62–68.
Wyman, C. E. and Hinman, N. D. (1990),Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 24/25, 735–753.
Hinman, N. D., Wright, J. D., Hoagland, W., and Wyman, C. E. (1989),Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 20/21, 391–401.
Lawford, H. G. (1988),Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 17, 203–219.
Lawford, H. G. (1988),Proc. VIII Int'l Symp. on Alcohol Fuels, Tokyo, November 13–16, Pub. by NEDO, pp. 21–27.
Lawford, H. G. and Ruggiero, A. (1990), inBioenergy, Proc. 7th Cdn. Bioenergy R&D Seminar, Hogan, E., ed., NRC Canada, pp. 401–408.
Rogers, P. L., Lee, K. J., Skotnicki, M. L., and Tribe, D. E. (1982),Adv. Biochem. Eng. 23, 37–84.
Baratti, J. C. and Bu'Lock, J. D. (1986),Biotechnol. Adv. 4, 95–115.
Ohta, K., Supanwong, K., and Hayashida, S. (1981),J. Ferment. Technol. 59, 435–439.
Rodríguez, E. and Callieri, D. A. S. (1986),Biotechnol. Lett. 8, 745–748.
Doelle, M. B., Greenfield, P. F., and Doelle, H. W. (1990),Proc. Biochem. 25(5), 151–156.
Beavan, M., Zawadzki, B., Droniuk, R., Fein, J., and Lawford, H. G. (1989),Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 20/21, 319–326.
Bringer, S., Sahm, H., and Swyzen, W. (1984),Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp. 14, 311–319.
Lee, G. M., Kim, C. H., Lee, K. J., Zainal Abidin Mohd. Yusof, Han, M. H., and Rhee, S. K. (1986),J. Ferment. Technol. 64, 293–297.
Parekh, S. R., Parekh, R. S., and Wayman, M. (1989),Proc. Biochem. 24, 88–91.
Lawford, H. G. and Rousseau, J. D. (1992),Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol. 34/35, 205–216.
Freese, E., Sheu, C. W., and Galliers, E. (1973),Nature 241, 321.
Booth, I. R. and Kroll, R. G. (1983),Biochem. Soc. Trans. 11, 70–73.
Smirnova, G. V. and Oktyabr'skii, O. N. (1988),Microbiology (USSR) 57, 446–451.
Repaske, D. R. and Adler, J. (1981),J. Bacteriol. 145, 321–325.
Lawford, H. G. and Rousseau, J. D. (1993),Appl. Biochem. Biotechnol.
Lavers, B. H., Pang, P., MacKenzie, C. R., Lawford, G. R., Pik, J., and Lawford, H. G. (1981), inAdvances in Biotechnology, vol. II, Moo-Young, M., and Robinson, C. W., eds., Pergamon, Canada, pp. 195–200.
Stevnsborg, N. and Lawford, H. G. (1986),Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 25, 106–115.
Stevnsborg, N. and Lawford, H. G. (1986),Biotechnol. Lett. 8, 181–186.
Lawford, H. G. and Stevnsborg, N. (1986),Biotechnol. Letts. 8, 345–350.
Stevnsborg, N., Lawford, H. G., Martin, N., and Beveridge, T. (1986),Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 25, 116–123.
Lawford, H. G. and Stevnsborg, N. (1987),Biotechnol. Bioeng. Symp. 17, 209–219.
Lawford, H. G., Holloway, P., and Ruggiero, A. (1988),Biotechnol. Lett. 10, 809–814.
Lawford, H. G. and Ruggiero, A. (1990),Biotechnol. Appl. Biochem. 12, 206–211.
Swings, J. and De Ley, J. (1977),Bacteriol. Rev. 41, 1–46.
Prior, B. A., Kilian, S. G., and du Preez, J. C. (1989),Process Biochem. 42, 21–32.
Pampulha, M. E. and Louriero, V. (1989),Biotechnol. Letts. 11, 269–274.
Booth, I. R. (1985),Microbiol. Rev. 49, 359–378.
Nicholls, D. G. (1982),Bioenergetics—an Introduction to the Chemiosmotic Theory, Academic Press Inc., Toronto, Canada, pp. 56–58.
Pankova, L. M., Shvinka, J. E., and Beker, M. J. (1988),Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 28, 583–588.
Verduyn, C., Postma, E., Scheffers, A., and van Dijken, J. P. (1990),J. Gen. Microbiol. 136, 405–412.
Postma, E., Verduyn, C., Scheffers, W. A., and van Dijken, J. P. (1989),Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 55, 468–477.
Luli, G. W. and Strohl, W. R. (1990),Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 56, 1004–1011.
Smirnova, G. V. and Oktyabr'skii, O. N. (1985),Microbiology (USSR) 54, 205–209.
Pirt, S. J. (1975),Principles of Microbe and Cell Cultivation, Blackwell Scientific Publications, London, UK, pp. 66–68.
Belaïch, J. P., Belaïch, A., and Simonpietri, P. (1972),J. Gen. Microbiol. 70, 179–185.
Lazdunski, A. and Belaïch, J. P. (1972),J. Gen. Microbiol. 70, 187–197.
Rogers, P. L. and Tribe, D. E. (1983), United States Patent 4,403,034.
Cromie, S. and Doelle, H. W. (1980),Biotechnol. Lett. 2, 357–362.
Maiorella, B. L., Blanch, H. W., and Wilke, C. R. (1983),Biotechnol. Bioeng. 25, 103–121.
Vega, J. L., Claussen, E. C., and Gaddy, J. L. (1987),Biotechnol. Bioeng. 29, 429–435.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Lawford, H.G., Rousseau, J.D. The effect of acetic acid on fuel ethanol production byZymomonas . Appl Biochem Biotechnol 39, 687–699 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02919028
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02919028