title: The synthesis of n-caproate from lactate: a new efficient process for medium-chain carboxylates production.
abstract: A unique microbiome that metabolizes lactate rather than ethanol for n-caproate production was obtained from a fermentation pit used for the production of Chinese strong-flavour liquor (CSFL). The microbiome was able to produce n-caproate at concentrations as high as 23.41 g/L at a maximum rate of 2.97 g/L/d in batch trials without in-line extraction. Compared with previous work using ethanol as the electron donor, the n-caproate concentration increased by 82.89%. High-throughput sequencing analysis showed that the microbiome was dominated by a Clostridium cluster IV, which accounted for 79.07% of total reads. A new process for n-caproate production was proposed, lactate oxidation coupled to chain elongation, which revealed new insight into the well-studied lactate conversion and carbon chain elongation. In addition, these findings indicated a new synthesis mechanism of n-caproate in CSFL. We believe that this efficient process will provide a promising opportunity for the innovation of waste recovery as well as for n-caproate biosynthesis.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiaoyu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Xiangzhen
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Na
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Wenjie
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: College of Life Science, Sichuan University, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Yanfei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Environmental and Applied Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences; Environmental Microbiology Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sichuan, 610041, PR China.
authors.forename: Tao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bo
mesh_terms: D019149:Bioreactors; D002208:Caproates / Q000378:metabolism*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000378:metabolism; D005285:Fermentation; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D064307:Microbiota
chemical_list: D002208:Caproates; D019344:Lactic Acid; D000431:Ethanol