PNNL

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC), a valuable biopolymer with diverse industrial applications, is efficiently produced by Novacetimonas hansenii, a model organism for studying bacterial cellulose biosynthesis. Understanding its metabolic responses to different carbon sources is pivotal for optimizing BC production and expanding biotechnological potential. This study presents the first time-resolved transcriptomic profiling of N. hansenii ATCC 23769 across five distinct carbon sources (glucose, fructose, mannitol, galactose, and sucrose) over five time points (24–120?h). This dynamic approach reveals carbon-specific transcriptional responses that static analyses fail to capture. In terms of BC production, glucose supported the highest final yield (413?mg/L at 120?h). However, mannitol exhibited the highest average production rate (2.96?mg/L/h), slightly surpassing glucose (2.63?mg/L/h), indicating a more rapid cellulose synthesis over time. While fructose also supported substantial BC production, it was less efficient than glucose and mannitol. In contrast, galactose and sucrose resulted in significantly lower yields and productivity, underscoring their limited suitability for BC production. These findings emphasize the importance of considering both final yield and production kinetics when selecting carbon sources for industrial or research applications involving N. hansenii.