A defined anaerobic synthetic coculture combining the acetogenic syngas fermenter Clostridium autoethanogenum with the chain-elongating bacterium Clostridium kluyveri. C. autoethanogenum converts carbon monoxide or syngas into acetate and ethanol, while C. kluyveri consumes these products for chain elongation, producing C4 and C6 fatty acids and higher alcohols. The system is relevant to DOE carbon utilization and renewable fuels because it couples gas fermentation with microbial upgrading of CO/syngas-derived intermediates in one growth vessel.
Taxonomy
| Taxon | Ontology ID | Functional Roles | Abundance |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clostridium autoethanogenum | NCBITaxon:84023 |
PRIMARY_PRODUCER
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ABUNDANT |
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| Clostridium kluyveri | NCBITaxon:1534 |
CROSS_FEEDER
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ABUNDANT |
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Ecological Interactions
Acetogenic CO and Syngas Fermentation
CROSS_FEEDINGSource Taxon: Clostridium autoethanogenum
Target Taxon: Clostridium kluyveri
Metabolites: carbon monoxide (CHEBI:17245), carbon dioxide (CHEBI:16526), acetate (CHEBI:30089), ethanol (CHEBI:16236)
Biological Processes:
- fermentation (GO:0006113)
Evidence
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PMID:27042211 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"Acetate and ethanol are main products"
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PMID:31792266 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"converted CO to acetate and traces of ethanol"
Ethanol-Driven Chain Elongation
CROSS_FEEDINGSource Taxon: Clostridium kluyveri
Metabolites: acetate (CHEBI:30089), ethanol (CHEBI:16236), butyrate (CHEBI:17968)
Biological Processes:
- fermentation (GO:0006113)
Evidence
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PMID:27042211 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"converting CO and syngas to a mixture"
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PMID:27042211 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"butyrate and caproate"
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PMID:27042211 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"Butanol and hexanol were produced"
Thermodynamic Ethanol Pull by C. kluyveri
CROSS_FEEDINGSource Taxon: Clostridium kluyveri
Target Taxon: Clostridium autoethanogenum
Metabolites: ethanol (CHEBI:16236)
Biological Processes:
- fermentation (GO:0006113)
Evidence
-
PMID:31792266 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"shifted its metabolism significantly towards solventogenesis"
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PMID:31792266 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)"continuous removal of ethanol by C. kluyveri"
External Resources
| Name | Repository | Resource ID |
|---|---|---|
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Exact-system primary publication - CO/syngas chain elongation coculture
Primary publication establishing the C. autoethanogenum and C. kluyveri synthetic coculture for C4/C6 fatty acid and higher alcohol production from CO or syngas. |
OTHER | PMID:27042211 |
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Exact-system publication - metabolic interaction and solventogenic shift
Follow-up exact species-pair publication analyzing microbial interactions and the co-cultivation-induced metabolic shift during CO conversion. |
OTHER | PMID:31792266 |
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Exact-system publication - genome-scale community model
Genome-scale constraint-based model of the C. autoethanogenum and C. kluyveri coculture on syngas for medium-chain fatty acid production. |
OTHER | PMID:33240469 |
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Environmental Factors
| Factor | Value | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Gas substrate | carbon monoxide or syngas | N/A |
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| Acetate supplementation | acetate stimulated production rates | N/A |
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| pH | pH influences growth and caproate toxicity | N/A |
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