REGULATION OF SOLVENT PRODUCTION IN CLOSTRIDIUM-ACETOBUTYLICUM

The production of acetone and butanol by Clostridium acetobutylicum wa s once one of the largest fermentation processes but, once it was no l onger competitive with chemical synthesis, it was discontinued. Howeve r, the combined efforts of several laboratories have increased our kno wledge of the molecular basis of solvent production and this, combined with a better understanding of the regulation of the genes responsibl e for solvent formation, should enable a more pragmatic approach to th e construction of C. acetobutylicum strains producing high yields of s pecific metabolites in a selective manner.