Skip to main content
PMC home page
Journal of Bacteriology logoLink to Journal of Bacteriology
. 1985 Oct;164(1):173–180. doi: 10.1128/jb.164.1.173-180.1985

Mechanism of ethanol inhibition of fermentation in Zymomonas mobilis CP4.

Y A Osman, L O Ingram
PMCID: PMC214226  PMID: 4044518

Abstract

Accumulation of alcohol during fermentation is accompanied by a progressive decrease in the rate of sugar conversion to ethanol. In this study, we provided evidence that inhibition of fermentation by ethanol can be attributed to an indirect effect of ethanol on the enzymes of glycolysis involving the plasma membrane. Ethanol decreased the effectiveness of the plasma membrane as a semipermeable barrier, allowing leakage of essential cofactors and coenzymes. This leakage of cofactors and coenzymes, coupled with possible additional leakage of intermediary metabolites en route to ethanol formation, is sufficient to explain the inhibitory effects of ethanol on fermentation in Zymomonas mobilis.

Full text

PDF
177

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Dawes E. A., Ribbons D. W., Large P. J. The route of ethanol formation in Zymomonas mobilis. Biochem J. 1966 Mar;98(3):795–803. doi: 10.1042/bj0980795. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Demain A. L., Solomon N. A. Industrial microbiology. Sci Am. 1981 Sep;245(3):67–75. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dimarco A. A., Romano A. H. d-Glucose Transport System of Zymomonas mobilis. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1985 Jan;49(1):151–157. doi: 10.1128/aem.49.1.151-157.1985. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Dombek K. M., Ingram L. O. Effects of ethanol on the Escherichia coli plasma membrane. J Bacteriol. 1984 Jan;157(1):233–239. doi: 10.1128/jb.157.1.233-239.1984. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Eaton L. C., Tedder T. F., Ingram L. O. Effects of fatty acid composition on the sensitivity of membrane functions to ethanol in Escherichia coli. Subst Alcohol Actions Misuse. 1982;3(1-2):77–87. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Freese E., Sheu C. W., Galliers E. Function of lipophilic acids as antimicrobial food additives. Nature. 1973 Feb 2;241(5388):321–325. doi: 10.1038/241321a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. GIBBS M., DEMOSS R. D. Anaerobic dissimilation of C14-labeled glucose and fructose by Pseudomonas lindneri. J Biol Chem. 1954 Apr;207(2):689–694. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Goldstein D. B., Chin J. H., Lyon R. C. Ethanol disordering of spin-labeled mouse brain membranes: correlation with genetically determined ethanol sensitivity of mice. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1982 Jul;79(13):4231–4233. doi: 10.1073/pnas.79.13.4231. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Ingram L. O., Buttke T. M. Effects of alcohols on micro-organisms. Adv Microb Physiol. 1984;25:253–300. doi: 10.1016/s0065-2911(08)60294-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. LOWRY O. H., ROSEBROUGH N. J., FARR A. L., RANDALL R. J. Protein measurement with the Folin phenol reagent. J Biol Chem. 1951 Nov;193(1):265–275. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Nagodawithana T. W., Steinkraus K. H. Influence of the rate of ethanol production and accumulation on the viability of Saccharomyces cerevisiae in "rapid fermentation". Appl Environ Microbiol. 1976 Feb;31(2):158–162. doi: 10.1128/aem.31.2.158-162.1976. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Navarro J. M., Durand G. Fermentation alcoolique: influence de la température sur l'accumulation d'alcool dans les cellules de levure. Ann Microbiol (Paris) 1978 Aug-Sep;129B(2):215–224. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Nozaki Y., Tanford C. The solubility of amino acids and two glycine peptides in aqueous ethanol and dioxane solutions. Establishment of a hydrophobicity scale. J Biol Chem. 1971 Apr 10;246(7):2211–2217. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Ohta K., Hayashida S. Role of tween 80 and monoolein in a lipid-sterol-protein complex which enhances ethanol tolerance of sake yeasts. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1983 Oct;46(4):821–825. doi: 10.1128/aem.46.4.821-825.1983. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Pang K. Y., Chang T. L., Miller K. W. On the coupling between anesthetic induced membrane fluidization and cation permeability in lipid vesicles. Mol Pharmacol. 1979 May;15(3):729–738. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. RAABO E., TERKILDSEN T. C. On the enzymatic determination of blood glucose. Scand J Clin Lab Invest. 1960;12(4):402–407. doi: 10.3109/00365516009065404. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Rottenberg H., Waring A., Rubin E. Tolerance and cross-tolerance in chronic alcoholics: reduced membrane binding of ethanol and other drugs. Science. 1981 Jul 31;213(4507):583–585. doi: 10.1126/science.6264608. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Seeman P., Roth S., Schneider H. The membrane concentrations of alcohol anesthetics. Biochim Biophys Acta. 1971 Feb 2;225(2):171–184. doi: 10.1016/0005-2736(71)90210-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Skotnicki M. L., Lee K. J., Tribe D. E., Rogers P. L. Comparison of ethanol production by different zymomonas strains. Appl Environ Microbiol. 1981 Apr;41(4):889–893. doi: 10.1128/aem.41.4.889-893.1981. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Swings J., De Ley J. The biology of Zymomonas. Bacteriol Rev. 1977 Mar;41(1):1–46. doi: 10.1128/br.41.1.1-46.1977. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Tanford C. The hydrophobic effect and the organization of living matter. Science. 1978 Jun 2;200(4345):1012–1018. doi: 10.1126/science.653353. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Thomas D. S., Rose A. H. Inhibitory effect of ethanol on growth and solute accumulation by Saccharomyces cerevisiae as affected by plasma-membrane lipid composition. Arch Microbiol. 1979 Jul;122(1):49–55. doi: 10.1007/BF00408045. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Wills C., Kratofil P., Londo D., Martin T. Characterization of the two alcohol dehydrogenases of Zymomonas mobilis. Arch Biochem Biophys. 1981 Sep;210(2):775–785. doi: 10.1016/0003-9861(81)90245-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Bacteriology are provided here courtesy of American Society for Microbiology (ASM)

RESOURCES