Glycerol Utilization as a Sole Carbon Source Disrupts the Membrane Architecture and Solventogenesis in Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052

Efficient bioconversion of abundant waste glycerol to value-added chemicals calls for a wider range fermentative workhorses that can catabolize glycerol. In this study, we used quantitative gene expression and solvent profiling, qualitative metabolite analysis, enzyme activity assays investigate the factors limit utilization as sole carbon source by Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052. C. 8052 did not produce acetate, acetone butanol on Congruently, genes encoding coenzyme A transferase subunits (ctfAB) bifunctional acetaldehyde-CoA/alcohol dehydrogenase (adhE) were down-regulated up 135- 21-fold, respectively, at 12 h in glycerol-grown cells compared glucose-grown cells. Conversely, NADH-dependent (bdhA) was upregulated 2-fold. Glycerol (gldA) dihydroxyacetone kinase (subunit dhaK) 5- 881-fold, respectively. Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (gapdh) showed mostly similar profiles glucose At 24 h, gapdh downregulated 1.5-fold, while NADP+-dependent 1.9-fold. Glycerol-grown higher or all solventogenic enzymes studied, Butyraldehyde (3 g/L) supplementation led production ~0.1 g/L butanol, whilst butyrate (3.5 produced 0.7 0.5 with Further, long chain saturated fatty acids cyclopentaneundecanoic acid, methyl ester hexadecanoic butyl detected glucose- but Collectively, growth appears disrupt synthesis acids, well solventogenesis