Production of ferulic acid from lignocellulolytic agricultural biomass by Thermobifida fusca thermostable esterase produced in Yarrowia lipolytica transformant

► A gene (axe) encoding the AXE thermostable esterase in Thermobifida fusca NTU22 was cloned into a Yarrowia lipolytica P01g host strain. ► The esterase activity from Y. lipolytica transformant was approximately 140 times higher than observed in a Pichia pastoris expression system. ► After affinity column chromatography, the purified esterase appeared as a single band at about 28 kDa by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, in accord with the size predicted by its nucleotide sequence. ► After 72 h of fermentation by the Y. lipolytica transformant in the fed-batch fermentor, the fermentation broth accumulated 41.11 U/ml esterase activity. ► The corncob was incubated with T. fusca xylanase (Tfx) for 12 h and then with the AXE esterase for an additional 12 h. Ferulic acid accumulated to 396 μM in the culture broth.