Peptidoglycan hydrolase antimicrobials for eradicating lactobacilli that contaminate and reduce ethanol yields in biofuel fermentation

Abstract

Ethanol losses due to bacterial contamination in fermentation cultures weakens the economics of biofuel production.species are the predominant contaminant. Bacteriophage lytic enzymes are peptidoglycan hydrolases which degrade Gram positive cell walls when exposed externally and are a novel source of antimicrobials. The streptococcal phage λSA2 endolysin construct demonstrated strong lytic activity towards 17 of 22 strains of lactobacilli, staphylococci or streptococci maintaining optimal specific activity under fermentation conditions towardsubstrates.bacteriophage endolysin constructs LysA, LysA2 and LysgaY showed exolytic activity towards ˜60% of the lactobacilli tested including fourisolates from fuel ethanol fermentations. Presence of ethanol (≦5%) did not affect lytic activity. Lysins were able to reduce bothandcontaminants in mock fermentations of corn fiber hydrolysates. Recombinant LysA and λSa2 expressed in the yeastare functional; LysA was shown to reduce lactobacilli in experimentally infected fermentations.