Microorganism of the genus zymomonas mobilis containing one or more exogenous vector genes and the respective process for producing ethanol

摘要

The invention relates to microorganisms which normally do not ferment pentose sugar and which are genetically altered to fermen pentose sugar to produce ethanol, and fermentation processes utilizing the same. Examples include Zymomonas mobilis which has been transformed with combinations of E. coli genes for xylose isomerase, xylulokinase, transaldolase, transketolase, L-arabinose isomerase, L- ribulokinase, and L--ribulose 5-phosphate 4-epimerase. Expression of the added genes are under the control of Zymomonas mobilis promoters. These newly created microorganisms are useful for fermenting pentoses and glucose, produced by hydrolysis of hemicellulose and cellulose, to produce ethanol.