Enhancement of pyruvate productivity by inducible expression of a F0F1-ATPase inhibitor INH1 in Torulopsis glabrata CCTCC M202019

The aim of this study is to establish a controllable intracellular ATP content regulation system applied to the enhancement of pyruvate production in Torulopsis glabrata. The INH1 gene, which encodes a F0F1-ATPase inhibitor from Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was expressed under a copper ion inducible promoter in the pyruvate producer Torulopsis glabrata CCTCC M202019. The resultant strain was designated as T. glabrata INH1. The induction efficiency was measured by the inducible expression of an enhanced green fluorescence protein. The copper inducible INH1 gene could control the intracellular ATP content (24 h) in an extensive range between 0.192 mmol/mg protein and 0.642 mmol/mg protein in a flask culture. With T. glabrataINH1, induction with 30 μM of Cu2+ at 12 h in a 3 L fermentor improved pyruvate yield from glucose on biomass by 29% and its yield by 20%, respectively.