New Insights into the Physiology of the Propionate Producers and (Formerly and ).

Propionate is an important platform chemical that is available through petrochemical synthesis. Bacterial propionate formation is considered an alternative, as bacteria can convert waste substrates into valuable products. In this regard, research primarily focused on propionibacteria due to high propionate titers achieved from different substrates. Whether other bacteria could also be attractive producers is unclear, mostly because little is known about these strains. Therefore, two thus far less researched strains, and , were investigated with regard to their morphologic and metabolic features. Microscopic analyses revealed a negative Gram reaction despite a Gram-positive cell wall as well as surface layers for both strains. Furthermore, growth, product profiles, and the potential for propionate formation from sustainable substrates, i.e., ethanol or lignocellulosic sugars, were assessed. Results showed that both strains can oxidize ethanol to different extents. While only partially used ethanol, converted 28.3 mM ethanol to 16.4 mM propionate. Additionally, the ability of to produce propionate from lignocellulose-derived substrates was analyzed, leading to propionate concentrations of up to 14.5 mM. Overall, this work provides new insights into the physiology of the strains, which can be used to develop effective propionate producer strains.