title: Evaluation of assimilatory sulphur metabolism in Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus.
abstract: Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus has gained reputation as being among the best microorganisms to produce H2 due to possession of various appropriate features. The quest to develop an inexpensive cultivation medium led to determine a possible replacement of the expensive component cysteine, i.e. sulphate. C. saccharolyticus assimilated sulphate successfully in absence of a reducing agent without releasing hydrogen sulphide. A complete set of genes coding for enzymes required for sulphate assimilation were found in the majority of Caldicellulosiruptor species including C. saccharolyticus. C. saccharolyticus displayed indifferent physiological behaviour to source of sulphur when grown under favourable conditions in continuous cultures. Increasing the usual concentration of sulphur in the feed medium increased substrate conversion. Choice of sulphur source did not affect the tolerance of C. saccharolyticus to high partial pressures of H2. Thus, sulphate can be a principle sulphur source in an economically viable and more sustainable biohydrogen process using C. saccharolyticus.
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Microbiology, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: sudhanshu.pawar@tmb.lth.se.
authors.forename: Sudhanshu S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Pawar
authors.affiliation: Division of Applied Microbiology, Lund University, P.O. Box 124, SE-221 00 Lund, Sweden. Electronic address: Ed.van_Niel@tmb.lth.se.
authors.forename: Ed W J
authors.initials: EWJ
authors.lastname: van Niel
mesh_terms: D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate / Q000378:metabolism; D061249:Batch Cell Culture Techniques; D019149:Bioreactors / Q000382:microbiology; D003067:Coenzymes / Q000378:metabolism; D011756:Diphosphates; D005285:Fermentation; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D006863:Hydrogen-Ion Concentration; D007218:Industrial Microbiology; D009243:NAD / Q000378:metabolism; D013045:Species Specificity; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D003067:Coenzymes; D011756:Diphosphates; D009243:NAD; D013455:Sulfur; D000255:Adenosine Triphosphate
keywords: Biohydrogen; Caldicellulosiruptor saccharolyticus; Partial pressure of hydrogen and hydrogen tolerance; Sulphate assimilation