title: Genetic engineering of ethanol production in Escherichia coli.
abstract: The genes encoding essential enzymes of the fermentative pathway for ethanol production in Zymomonas mobilis, an obligately ethanologenic bacterium, were inserted into Escherichia coli under the control of a common promoter. Alcohol dehydrogenase II and pyruvate decarboxylase from Z. mobilis were expressed at high levels in E. coli, resulting in increased cell growth and the production of ethanol as the principal fermentation product from glucose. These results demonstrate that it is possible to change the fermentation products of an organism, such as E. coli, by the addition of genes encoding appropriate enzymes which form an alternative system for the regeneration of NAD+.
authors.affiliation: Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Gainesville 32611.
authors.forename: L O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Ingram
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Conway
authors.forename: D P
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Sewell
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Preston
mesh_terms: D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase / Q000235:genetics; D000693:Anaerobiosis; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D005285:Fermentation; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D005818:Genetic Engineering; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D006090:Gram-Negative Bacteria / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D009876:Operon; D010957:Plasmids; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D011767:Pyruvate Decarboxylase / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol; D000426:Alcohol Dehydrogenase; D011767:Pyruvate Decarboxylase; D005947:Glucose