FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MILWAUKEE – Researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (UWM) and from the University of Goettingen in Germany have completed sequencing the genome of a bacterium that holds potential for quicker, less costly biochemical reactions needed in the production of vitamins and other products, such as tanning agents and antidiabetic drugs.
G. oxydans (Gox) converts sugars and alcohols to precursors for chemical synthesis in one step, says Uwe Deppenmeier, associate professor of biological sciences at UWM. The alternative is a more complex chemical process which involves many steps and expensive compounds.
“The great advantage is that Gox has the capability to form single specific products, ” says Deppenmeier. For example, Gox catalyzes the critical step in the production of vitamin C. Acetic acid bacteria like Gox also are involved in the formation of vinegar.
The bacterium has a unique way of transforming sugars, such as those in flower nectar, so that the substance cannot easily be acted on by other bacteria.
“The bacterium oxydizes the substrate so fast, it out-competes other microorganisms (for food). It’s an efficient strategy for survival,” he says.
An organism’s genome is a blueprint that pinpoints the proteins responsible for individual biological traits. A complete identification of all the bacteria’s genes brings scientists closer to understanding Gox’s unusual metabolism.
While sequencing the Gox genome, the scientists identified more than 70 new proteins. These are expected to yield new methods for catalyzing biochemical reactions, making the bacterium a major workhorse for biotechnological applications, says Deppenmeier.
The genome also may lead to bigger advances. Genes make proteins that perform the cells’ functions. When you know the gene and what protein it forms, says Deppenmeier, you can then manipulate the genes to make the proteins faster and more effective.
The UWM-Goettingen team’s findings are published in the current online issue of the scientific journal Nature Biotechnology.
The project got under way when chemical company BASF, which produces vitamins, among other products, approached professors G. Gottschalk and Deppenmeier at the University of Goettingen about sequencing the genome to look for possible new uses. The research was also funded through Germany’s Lower Saxony Ministry of Science and Culture.
Deppenmeier, who was an assistant professor at the University of Goettingen, joined the UWM faculty in 2003 and has continued the research here.
“Now that the sequencing is complete, we know where to look for a better outcome on reactions,” he says. “With knowledge of the genome and all it capabilities, we know what is possible.”
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(CONTACT: Uwe [pronounced “Oo-va”] Deppenmeier, 414-229-4363, udeppen@uwm.edu)
