Engineering of thermotolerant bacillus coagulans for production of D(-)-lactic acid

Abstract

Genetically modified microorganisms having the ability to produce D(−)-lactic acid at temperatures between 30° C. and 55° C. are provided. In various embodiments, the microorganisms may have the chromosomal lactate dehydrogenase (ldh) gene and / or the chromosomal acetolactate synthase (alsS) gene inactivated. Exemplary microorganisms for use in the disclosed methods are Bacillus spp., such as Bacillus coagulans.

Description

[0001] Cross References to Related Applications [0002] This application claims the rights of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Serial No. 61 / 416002 filed on November 22, 2010, and the disclosure content of this patent is hereby fully incorporated into this application by way of data reference, including all drawings, tables and nucleic acid sequence. [0003] governmental support [0004] This invention was made with government support under DOE Grant No. DE-FG36-04GO14019. The government has certain rights in this invention. Background technique [0005] Petroleum is not only a major source of fuel, but also a feedstock for the manufacture of many polymers used by the plastics industry. The limited reserves of petroleum, coupled with the negative environmental impact of its use, have led to an increasing focus on alternative, renewable fuel sources and compounds that could replace petroleum (23). Fermentation of carbohydrates has been shown to produce a variety of sh...

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Problems solved by technology

However, despite several attempts to improve the xylose-fermenting properties of these lactic acid bacteria, the lactic acid bacteria used in industry still lack the ability to efficiently ferment five-carbon sugars into lactic acid (25, 31)

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