title: Cellulose Fermentation by an Asporogenous Mutant and an Ethanol-Tolerant Mutant of Clostridium thermocellum.
abstract: Two mutants of Clostridium thermocellum were isolated after UV light mutagenesis. Mutant A1, selected as asporogenous, exhibited a fermentation pattern similar to that of the wild type. However, at pH 6.5, the mutant degraded 12% more cellulose than did the wild type, leading to enhanced ethanol production. Mutant 647, selected as ethanol tolerant, was able to grow in medium containing 4% ethanol. During the early stage of the exponential growth phase, ethanol was produced as the main product, up to a concentration of about 9 g/liter. After 3 days of culture, 48.3 g (89% of the initial amount) of degraded cellulose per liter was fermented into 12.7 g of ethanol per liter.
authors.affiliation: Unité de Physiologie Cellulaire et URA 209 CNRS, Département des Biotechnologies, Institut Pasteur, 28, rue du Dr Roux, 75724 Paris Cedex 15, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Tailliez
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Longin
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Beguin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Millet