Release of glucose repression on xylose utilization in Kluyveromyces marxianus to enhance glucose-xylose co-utilization and xylitol production from corncob hydrolysate

BACKGROUND: Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the most abundant materials for biochemicals production. However, efficient co-utilization of glucose and xylose from the lignocellulosic biomass is a challenge due to the glucose repression in microorganisms. Kluyveromyces marxianus is a thermotolerant and efficient xylose-utilizing yeast. To realize the glucose–xylose co-utilization, analyzing the glucose repression of xylose utilization in K. marxianus is necessary. In addition, a glucose–xylose co-utilization platform strain will facilitate the construction of lignocellulosic biomass-utilizing strains. RESULTS: Through gene disruption, hexokinase 1 (KmHXK1) and sucrose non-fermenting 1 (KmSNF1) were proved to be involved in the glucose repression of xylose utilization while disruption of the downstream genes of cyclic AMP-protein kinase A (cAMP-PKA) signaling pathway or sucrose non-fermenting 3 (SNF3) glucose-sensing pathway did not alleviate the repression. Furthermore, disruption of the gene of multicopy inhibitor of GAL gene expression (KmMIG1) alleviated the glucose repression on some nonglucose sugars (galactose, sucrose, and raffinose) but still kept glucose repression of xylose utilization. Real-time PCR analysis of the xylose utilization related genes transcription confirmed these results, and besides, revealed that xylitol dehydrogenase gene (KmXYL2) was the critical gene for xylose utilization and stringently regulated by glucose repression. Many other genes of candidate targets interacting with SNF1 were also evaluated by disruption, but none proved to be the key regulator in the pathway of the glucose repression on xylose utilization. Therefore, there may exist other signaling pathway(s) for glucose repression on xylose consumption. Based on these results, a thermotolerant xylose–glucose co-consumption platform strain of K. marxianus was constructed. Then, exogenous xylose reductase and xylose-specific transporter genes were overexpressed in the platform strain to obtain YHY013. The YHY013 could efficiently co-utilized the glucose and xylose from corncob hydrolysate or xylose mother liquor for xylitol production (> 100 g/L) even with inexpensive organic nitrogen sources. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the glucose repression in K. marxianus laid the foundation for construction of the glucose–xylose co-utilizing platform strain. The efficient xylitol production strain further verified the potential of the platform strain in exploitation of lignocellulosic biomass. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (10.1186/s12934-019-1068-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.