title: Closing the carbon balance for fermentation by Clostridium thermocellum (ATCC 27405).
abstract: Our lab and most others have not been able to close a carbon balance for fermentation by the thermophilic, cellulolytic anaerobe, Clostridium thermocellum. We undertook a detailed accounting of product formation in C. thermocellum ATCC 27405. Elemental analysis revealed that for both cellulose (Avicel) and cellobiose, ≥92% of the substrate carbon utilized could be accounted for in the pellet, supernatant and off-gas when including sampling. However, 11.1% of the original substrate carbon was found in the liquid phase and not in the form of commonly-measured fermentation products--ethanol, acetate, lactate, and formate. Further detailed analysis revealed all the products to be <720 da and have not usually been associated with C. thermocellum fermentation, including malate, pyruvate, uracil, soluble glucans, and extracellular free amino acids. By accounting for these products, 92.9% and 93.2% of the final product carbon was identified during growth on cellobiose and Avicel, respectively.
authors: Thayer School of Engineering, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
authors: Lucas D
authors: LD
authors: Ellis
authors: Evert K
authors: EK
authors: Holwerda
authors: David
authors: D
authors: Hogsett
authors: Steve
authors: S
authors: Rogers
authors: Xiongjun
authors: X
authors: Shao
authors: Timothy
authors: T
authors: Tschaplinski
authors: Phil
authors: P
authors: Thorne
authors: Lee R
authors: LR
authors: Lynd
mesh_terms: D000596:Amino Acids / Q000032:analysis; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism*; D002475:Cellobiose / Q000494:pharmacology; D048013:Acetivibrio thermocellus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D005285:Fermentation / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D000596:Amino Acids; D002475:Cellobiose; D002244:Carbon; D009584:Nitrogen