Compositions and Methods for Enhancing Glycerol Utilization
A glycerol utilizing cell and a method for the production of glycerol-derived target compounds are provided. The glycerol utilizing cell may comprise a glycerol metabolizing system or a glycerol uptake protein and be used to produce a glycerol-derivable target compound.
1 . A glycerol utilizing composition comprising a microbial cell and a glycerol composition.
2 . The microbial cell of claim 1 , wherein the cell is characterized by increased resistance to glycerol toxicity.
3 . The microbial cell of claim 1 , wherein the cell is characterized by increased uptake of glycerol.
4 . The microbial cell of claim 1 , wherein the cell is characterized by increased glycerol metabolism.
5 . The glycerol utilizing composition of claim 1 , wherein the glycerol composition is crude glycerol.
6 . The microbial cell of claim 2 , wherein the increased resistance is derived from a nucleic acid isolated from a cell deposited in ATCC (identifier IV638653-39710; ATCC No. PTA-8496).
7 . The cell deposited in the ATCC in claim 4 .
8 . The cell as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cell further comprises nucleic acid encoding a glycerol metabolizing system.
9 . The cell as in any one of the preceding claims, wherein the cell further comprises a nucleic acid encoding a polypeptide selected from the group consisting glycerol facilitator, glycerol-specific energy-dependent transporter, and proton/glycerol symporter.
10 . The cell of claim 8 , wherein the nucleic acid encoding the glycerol metabolizing system is heterologous.
11 . The cell of claim 10 , wherein the proteins of the glycerol metabolizing system are selected from the group consisting of glycerol kinase, glycerol dehydrogenase, glycerol dehydratase, and 1,3-propanediol oxidoreductase.
12 . The cell of claim 9 , wherein the glycerol facilitator protein comprises GenBank Accession No. NP — 418362.1 or variants thereof.
13 . The cell of claim 9 , wherein the glycerol-specific energy-dependent transporter protein comprises GenBank Accession No. AF251037 or variants thereof.
14 . The cell of claim 9 , wherein the proton/glycerol symporter protein comprises GenBank Accession No. NP — 010825.1 or variants thereof.
15 . A method for increasing glycerol utilization in a microbial cell comprising:
(a) providing a microbial cell selected from any one of the preceding claims; and
(b) contacting the microbial host cell with a composition comprising glycerol.
16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the composition is a crude glycerol solution.
17 . The method of claim 16 , wherein the crude glycerol solution is obtained from the manufacture of biodiesel.
18 . The method of claim 15 , wherein step (b) is conducted under conditions suitable for the cell to produce a glycerol-derivable target compound.
19 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the target compound is selected from the group consisting of propionic acid, ethanol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 3-hydroxypropionic acid, poly (3-hydroxy-butyrate), poly (3-mercapto-propionate), hydrogen, succinate, dihydroxyacetone, butyric acid, acetic acid, polyglutamic acid, cinnamic acid, rhamnolipids, 3-hydroxacetone, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and propylene glycol.