Display of Clostridium cellulovorans xylose isomerase on the cell surface of Saccharomyces cerevisiae and its direct application to xylose fermentation.

Xylose isomerase (XI) is a key enzyme in the conversion of D-xylose, which is a major component of lignocellulosic biomass, to D-xylulose. Genomic analysis of the bacterium Clostridium cellulovorans revealed the presence of XI-related genes. In this study, XI derived from C. cellulovorans was produced and displayed using the yeast cell-surface display system, and the xylose assimilation and fermentation properties of this XI-displaying yeast were examined. XI-displaying yeast grew well in medium containing xylose as the sole carbon source and directly produced ethanol from xylose under anaerobic conditions.