Mutating Escherichia coli by atmospheric and room temperature plasmas for succinic acid production from xylose

Escherichia coli AFP111 is a spontaneous mutant with mutations in the glucose specific phosphotransferase system (ptsG) in NZN111(ΔpflAB ΔldhA). In AFP111, conversion of xylose to succinic acid generates 1.67 molecule of ATP per xylose. However, the strain needs 2.67 molecule ATP for xylose metabolism. Therefore, AFP111 cannot use xylose due to insufficient ATP under anaerobic condition. Through an atmospheric and room temperature plasma (ARTP) jet, we got a mutant strain named DC111 that could use xylose under anaerobic condition in M9 medium to produce succinic acid. After 72 h, DC111 consumed 10.52 g/L xylose to produce 6.46 g/L succinic acid, and the yield was 0.78 mol/mol. Furthermore, the reaction catalyzed by the ATP-generating PEP-carboxykinase (PCK) was enhanced. The specific activity of PCK was 19.33-fold higher in DC111 than that in AFP111, which made the strain have enough ATP to converse xylose to succinic acid.