Insights into Proteomics Reveal Mechanisms of Ethanol-Enhanced Bacterial Cellulose Biosynthesis by Komagataeibacter nataicola

Abstract

Nata de coco, known as bacterial cellulose (BC), has been given much attention in the food industry and biomaterial areas due to its specific properties such as low calorie content, high content of fiber, high purity and high biocompatibility. Komagataeibacter spp. are indispensable microorganisms for BC production due to their highly efficient production. Here, proteomics was applied to investigate the metabolism regulation mechanisms of BC yield improvements in K. nataicola Y19 by 48 ± 3% after ethanol supplementation. The results evidenced that differentially expressed proteins involved in the BC biosynthesis system, glycolytic pathway, TCA cycle and oxidative phosphorylation process were up-regulated. The proteins accelerated the BC biosynthesis by providing more energy and via intermediate metabolites. Furthermore, the elongation factor Tu, chaperone DnaK and translocase subunit SecB may be involved in the BC synthesis procedure by regulating electron transfer, hydrolysis of ATP and protein transformation. Moreover, the ethanol-enhanced BC biosynthesis may be associated with the decreased expression of endoglucanase. This research elucidates the proteomics mechanism of higher BC production based on ethanol addition, providing references for nata de coco production efficiency and the synthetic regulation of bacterial cellulose in the future.