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Clostridium Thermocellum-Saccharoperbutylacetonicum Cellulosic Butanol Coculture

Community ID CommunityMech:000208
Ecological State ENGINEERED
Environment cellulose-fed laboratory coculture
ENVO:01001405

A staged two-member coculture for producing n-butanol from crystalline cellulose. The cellulolytic thermophile Clostridium thermocellum, represented in NCBI Taxonomy as Acetivibrio thermocellus ATCC 27405, first hydrolyzes Avicel cellulose. The butanol-producing Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum strain N1-4 is then added for solvent production. The system is DOE-relevant because it couples consolidated cellulose deconstruction to cellulosic butanol production, a liquid biofuel and bioproduct target.

Taxonomy

Taxon Ontology ID Functional Roles Abundance
Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405 NCBITaxon:203119
PRIMARY_DEGRADER CROSS_FEEDER
N/A
  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "cellulolytic Clostridium thermocellum"
  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "incubated with C. thermocellum for at least 24 h"
Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 NCBITaxon:1335640
SECONDARY_FERMENTER CROSS_FEEDER
N/A
  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "butanol-producing strain, Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum (strain N1-4)"
  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "strain N1-4 was the optimal strain for producing butanol"

Ecological Interactions

Ecological interaction network for Clostridium Thermocellum-Saccharoperbutylacetonicum Cellulosic Butanol Coculture Bipartite graph where circle nodes represent taxa and colored rectangles represent ecological interactions (cross-feeding, mutualism, syntrophy, competition, commensalism).
Taxon
Cross-feeding
Mutualism
Syntrophy
Competition
Commensalism
Niche partitioning
Colonization facilitation
Strain competition
Predation

Staged Cellulose Hydrolysis Feeding Solventogenesis

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405

Target Taxon: Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4

Metabolites: cellulose (CHEBI:18246), butanol (CHEBI:28885)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Butanol was produced from Avicel cellulose"
  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "after it was incubated with C. thermocellum for at least 24 h"

Selective Butanol Production With Low Acetone

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4

Target Taxon: Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405

Metabolites: butanol (CHEBI:28885)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "acetone was undetectable in this coculture system"
  • PMID:22999358 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "butanol was selectively produced with extremely low level of acetone"

Reduced Hydrogen Associated With Butanol Selectivity

CROSS_FEEDING

Source Taxon: Clostridium thermocellum ATCC 27405

Target Taxon: Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4

Metabolites: hydrogen (CHEBI:18276), butanol (CHEBI:28885)

Biological Processes:

Evidence

  • PMID:22999358 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "hydrogen production decreased and butanol was selectively produced"
  • PMID:22999358 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "high butanol production correlates with low hydrogen production"

External Resources

Name Repository Resource ID
Exact-system primary publication - crystalline cellulose to butanol coculture
Primary publication reporting C. thermocellum and C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 coculture production of butanol from crystalline cellulose. 		OTHER PMID:21764954
  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Butanol production from crystalline cellulose by cocultured Clostridium thermocellum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4"
Open full text for primary crystalline cellulose study
Open-access full text for the primary C. thermocellum/N1-4 cellulose-to-butanol study. 		OTHER PMCID:PMC3187149
  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "Butanol was produced from Avicel cellulose"
Exact-species follow-up publication - hydrogen and butanol selectivity
Follow-up exact-species coculture publication linking decreased hydrogen production with selective butanol production and very low acetone. 		OTHER PMID:22999358
  • PMID:22999358 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "co-cultures of Clostridium thermocellum and Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum strain N1-4"
Same-species lignocellulose extension - alkali-pretreated rice straw
Later same-species-pair coculture study using C. thermocellum NBRC 103400 and C. saccharoperbutylacetonicum N1-4 on delignified rice straw. 		OTHER PMID:25818258
  • PMID:25818258 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "co-culture of cellulolytic Clostridium thermocellum NBRC 103400 and butanol-producing Clostridium saccharoperbutylacetonicum strain N1-4"

Environmental Factors

Factor Value Unit
Crystalline cellulose substrate 4% Avicel cellulose N/A
Thermocellum preincubation at least 24 h before N1-4 addition N/A
  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "incubated with C. thermocellum for at least 24 h"
Butanol titer on Avicel 7.9 g/liter after 9 days N/A
  • PMID:21764954 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "peaked (7.9 g/liter) after 9 days of incubation"
Delignified rice straw extension 5.5 to 6.9 g/L butanol from 40 g/L delignified rice straw N/A
  • PMID:25818258 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "produced 5.5 g/L of butanol from 40 g/L of delignified rice straw"
  • PMID:25818258 - SUPPORT (IN_VITRO)
    "increased butanol production to 6.9 g/L"

Growth Media

Staged Avicel cellulose butanol coculture

Composition

Component Concentration Unit CHEBI
Avicel cellulose 4 percent CHEBI:18246
butanol N/A N/A CHEBI:28885

Preparation notes: The primary record supports a staged process in which C. thermocellum was incubated on Avicel cellulose before N1-4 addition; it does not curate the full salts or reducing-agent composition.

Evidence

PMID:21764954

"Butanol was produced from Avicel cellulose"

PMID:21764954

"after 9 days of incubation"