US 12,448,631 B2
Bacterial-derived nitrogen source for ethanol fermentation
James L. Steele, Lebanon, NH (US); Brooks Henningsen, Salisbury, NH (US); Jeffery R. Broadbent, Amalga, UT (US); Ekkarat Phrommao, Lebanon, NH (US); and Fernanda Cristina Firmino, Atlanta, GA (US)
Assigned to DANSTAR FERMENT AG, Zug (CH)
Filed by Lallemand Hungary Liquidity Management LLC, Budapest (HU)
Filed on Jul. 9, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/372,291.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/106,785, filed on Oct. 28, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/050,588, filed on Jul. 10, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0010340 A1, Jan. 13, 2022
Int. Cl. C12P 7/06 (2006.01); C12N 1/20 (2006.01); C12N 9/00 (2006.01); C12N 9/52 (2006.01); C12R 1/225 (2006.01)
CPC C12P 7/065 (2013.01) [C12N 1/205 (2021.05); C12N 9/52 (2013.01); C12N 9/93 (2013.01); C12R 2001/225 (2021.05); C12Y 304/21096 (2013.01); C12Y 304/24028 (2013.01); C12Y 603/01002 (2013.01)] 8 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A recombinant lactic acid bacterial host cell:
(a) capable of converting a biomass into ethanol and comprising:
(i) a heterologous pyruvate decarboxylase; and
(ii) a heterologous alcohol dehydrogenase; and
(b) having at least one first genetic modification for
(i) increasing, when compared to a corresponding control bacterial cell lacking the at least one first genetic modification, the proteolytic activity associated with the recombinant lactic acid bacterial host cell, and
(ii) making the recombinant lactic acid bacterial host cell capable of providing a nitrogen source to a yeast capable of converting the biomass into ethanol, wherein the nitrogen source comprises a peptide, an amino acid and/or ammonia,
wherein the at least one first genetic modification:
(1) reduces the expression of a native OmpR-family response regulator encoded by the prcR gene;
(2) is located in a regulatory region of lactocepin (PrtP); or
(3) comprises removing, at least in part, a responsive element in the regulatory region of one or more native proteases, wherein the responsive element is an OmpR-family regulator-responsive element and wherein the OmpR-family regulator is encoded by the prcR gene.