Anaerobic Reduction of Glycerol to Propanediol-1.3 by Lactobacillus brevis and Lactobacillus buchneri

Summary Three strains of Lactobacillus brevis and one strain of Lactobacillus buchneri grew very poorly on glucose. Good growth was observed on glucose plus glycerol; while glucose was fermented to acetate or ethanol, lactate and CO 2 , glycerol was dehydrated to 3-hydroxypropanal and subsequently reduced to propanediol-1.3. Cell extracts of L. brevis and L. buchneri grown on glucose plus glycerol contained a B 12 -dependent glycerol dehydratase and a propanediol-1.3 dehydrogenase. Glycerol was not metabolized when used as the only substrate. Fructose as sole carbon source was partially reduced to mannitol. The joint fermentation of fructose and glycerol yielded propanediol-1.3 from glycero…