c Calcium carbonate increases growth, substrate utilization, and acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation by Clostridium beijerinckii NCIMB 8052. Toward an understanding of the basis for these pleiotropic effects, we profiled changes in the C. beijerinckii NCIMB 8052 proteome that occur in response to the addition of CaCO 3 . We observed increases in the levels of different heat shock proteins (GrpE and DnaK), sugar transporters, and proteins involved in DNA synthesis, repair, recombination, and replication. We also noted significant decreases in the levels of proteins involved in metabolism, nucleic acid stabilization, sporulation, oxidative and antibiotic stress responses, and signal transduction. We determined that CaCO 3 enhances ABE fermentation due to both its buffering effects and its ability to influence key cellular processes, such as sugar transport, butanol tolerance, and solventogenesis. Moreover, activity assays in vitro for select solventogenic enzymes revealed that part of the underpinning for the CaCO 3 -mediated increase in the level of ABE fermentation stems from the enhanced activity of these catalysts in the presence of Ca 2؉ . Collectively, these proteomic and biochemical studies provide new insights into the multifactorial basis for the stimulation of ABE fermentation and butanol tolerance in the presence of CaCO 3 .
Growing concerns over increased emissions of greenhouse gases from the combustion of fossil fuels and the global energy crisis have recently spawned extensive research into renewable energy. As a result, there is a resurgent interest in butanol as an alternative fuel, due mainly to its higher energy content than ethanol and its compatibility with gasoline, with the latter trait making it more compatible with existing pipelines for distribution (1, 2). However, the cost of butanol production, which currently relies on petroleum feedstock, is not favorable compared to gasoline (3). Although acetone-butanol-ethanol (ABE) fermentation with solventogenic Clostridium species holds promise as a potentially cheaper means of butanol production, low yields and productivity due to butanol toxicity to the fermenting cells have hampered the commercialization of biobutanol (4, 5).To increase yield and productivity, fermentation broth additives such as acetate (6, 7) and calcium carbonate (3, 8, 9) have been successfully utilized. During ABE fermentation by solventogenic Clostridium species, CaCO 3 has been shown to stimulate sugar utilization, butanol production, and butanol tolerance (3,8,9). For example, during Clostridium acetobutylicum fermentation, the addition of 8 g/liter butanol (to mimic solvent intolerance) limited xylose utilization to 30 g/liter (from a starting concentration of 60 g/liter); however, upon the addition of CaCO 3 (10 g/liter), xylose utilization increased to 43 g/liter (8). Similarly, when ABE fermentation was conducted in an iron-deficient medium, which modifies carbon and electron flow to favor early butanol accumulation, the xylose utilization by C. acetobutyl...