title: Correlation of genomic and physiological traits of thermoanaerobacter species with biofuel yields.
abstract: Thermophilic anaerobic noncellulolytic Thermoanaerobacter species are of great biotechnological importance in cellulosic ethanol production due to their ability to produce high ethanol yields by simultaneous fermentation of hexose and pentose. Understanding the genome structure of these species is critical to improving and implementing these bacteria for possible biotechnological use in consolidated bioprocessing schemes (CBP) for cellulosic ethanol production. Here we describe a comparative genome analysis of two ethanologenic bacteria, Thermoanaerobacter sp. X514 and Thermoanaerobacter pseudethanolicus 39E. Compared to 39E, X514 has several unique key characteristics important to cellulosic biotechnology, including additional alcohol dehydrogenases and xylose transporters, modifications to pentose metabolism, and a complete vitamin B₁₂ biosynthesis pathway. Experimental results from growth, metabolic flux, and microarray gene expression analyses support genome sequencing-based predictions which help to explain the distinct differences in ethanol production between these strains. The availability of whole-genome sequence and comparative genomic analyses will aid in engineering and optimizing Thermoanaerobacter strains for viable CBP strategies.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Environmental Genomics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, USA.
authors.forename: Christopher L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Hemme
authors.forename: Matthew W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Fields
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Deng
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Qichao
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tu
authors.forename: Housna
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Mouttaki
authors.forename: Aifen
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Xueyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zuo
authors.forename: Bradley D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Ramsay
authors.forename: Zhili
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Liyou
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Joy
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Van Nostrand
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Yinjie J
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wiegel
authors.forename: Tommy J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Phelps
authors.forename: Jizhong
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhou
mesh_terms: D056804:Biofuels; D002482:Cellulose / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism*; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D016680:Genome, Bacterial; D053858:Metabolic Networks and Pathways / Q000235:genetics*; D046968:Thermoanaerobacter / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D056804:Biofuels; D000431:Ethanol; D002482:Cellulose