Novel microorganisms and method for producing xylitol or D-xylulose

Abstract

According to the present invention, there are provided microorganisms having an ability to producing xylitol or D-xylulose by fermentation, and a method for producing xylitol or D-xylulose using the microorganisms. Osmophilic microorganisms were collected from soil, and the obtained microorganisms were searched for a bacterium having an ability to produce xylitol or D-xylulose from glucose. Xylitol or D-xylulose is produced by culturing an isolated bacterium in a suitable medium to accumulate xylitol or D-xylulose in the medium, and collecting xylitol or D-xylulose from the medium.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A microorganism belonging to the family Acetobacteracea, which has a 16S rRNA gene comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 or a nucleotide sequence equivalent to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 from the viewpoint of molecular taxonomy based on the 16S rRNA sequence, and has an ability to produce xylitol or D-xylulose from glucose.  
     
     
         2 . The microorganism of  claim 1  which belongs to the genus Asaia.  
     
     
         3 . The microorganism of  claim 2  which is a strain of  Asaia ethanolifaciens.    
     
     
         4 . A microorganism which has a 16S rRNA gene comprising a nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 or a nucleotide sequence equivalent to the nucleotide sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2 from the viewpoint of molecular taxonomy based on the 16S rRNA sequence, and has an ability to produce xylitol or D-xylulose from glucose.  
     
     
         5 . The microorganism of  claim 4  whose 16S rRNA gene comprises any one of the nucleotide sequences of SEQ ID NOS: 3-5.  
     
     
         6 . The microorganism of  claim 4  which belongs to the genus Zucharibacter.  
     
     
         7 . The microorganism of  claim 4  which is a strain of  Zucharibacter floricola.    
     
     
         8 . A microbial strain P528 (FERM BP-6751) having an ability to produce xylitol or D-xylulose from glucose.  
     
     
         9 . A microbial strain S877 (FERM BP-6752) having an ability to produce xylitol or D-xylulose from glucose.  
     
     
         10 . A microbial strain S1009 (FERM BP-6753) having an ability to produce xylitol or D-xylulose from glucose.  
     
     
         11 . A microbial strain S1019 (FERM BP-6754) having an ability to produce xylitol or D-xylulose from glucose.  
     
     
         12 . A microbial strain S1023 having an ability to produce xylitol or D-xylulose from glucose (FERM BP-6755).  
     
     
         13 . A method for producing xylitol or D-xylulose, which comprises culturing a microorganism having an ability to produce xylitol or D-xylulose from glucose in a suitable medium to accumulate xylitol or D-xylulose in the medium, and collecting xylitol or D-xylulose from the medium.  
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the microorganism is a microorganism of any one of claims  1 - 12 .  
     
     
         15 . A method for producing ethanol, which comprises culturing a microbial strain P528 (FERM BP-6751) in a suitable medium to accumulate ethanol in the medium, and collecting ethanol from the medium.