Biosurfactants: From Genes to Applications

219 Pages·2011·2.74 MB·English

by  Gloria Soberón-Chávez, Raina M. Maier (auth.), Gloria Soberón-Chávez (eds.)

Microbiology Monographs
Volume 20
Series Editor: Alexander Steinbu¨chel
Mu¨nster,Germany
Microbiology Monographs
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Gloria Sobero´n-Cha´vez
Editor
Biosurfactants
From Genes to Applications
Editor
GloriaSobero´n-Cha´vez
DepartamentodeBiolog´ıaMoleculary
Bioingenier´ıa
InstitutodeInvestigacionesBiome´dicas
UniversidadNacionalAuto´nomadeMe´xico
Apdo.Postal70228,CiudadUniversitaria
04510,Me´xicoD.F.Me´xico
[email protected]
SeriesEditor
ProfessorDr.AlexanderSteinbu¨chel
Institutfu¨rMolekulareMikrobiologieundBiotechnology
Westfa¨lischeWilhelms-Universita¨t
Corrensstr.3
48149Mu¨nster
Germany
[email protected]
ISSN1862-5576 e-ISSN1862-5584
ISBN978-3-642-14489-9 e-ISBN978-3-642-14490-5
DOI10.1007/978-3-642-14490-5
SpringerHeidelbergDordrechtLondonNewYork
LibraryofCongressControlNumber:2010937320
#Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2011
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Preface
Thetermsurfactantreferstothosecompoundsthathavetensionactiveproperties,
or in other words, the molecules that reduce interfacial tension. Their chemical
composition can vary widely, but they have in common their amphiphilic or
amphipaticnatureandcanthusbesolubleinaqueousaswellasinorganicsolvents.
Thesecharacteristicsmakesurfactantsusefulinawidevarietyofindustries,based
on their abilities to lower surface tensions, increase solubility, their detergency
power,wettingability,andfoamingcapacity.
However, the surfactants used by industry include so far almost exclusively
synthetic surfactants. The term biosurfactant refers to different tensioactive com-
poundsproducedbylivingcells,butalargebodyofresearchhasbeencarriedout
with those produced by bacteria, yeast, or fungi. These compounds include mole-
culeswithdifferentchemicalstructures,whichplaydifferentrolesinthelife-cycle
ofeachofthesemicroorganisms.
Despite the very small amount of the surfactant market that is represented by
biosurfactants,thereisanincreasinginterestinmicrobialbiosurfactantsforseveral
reasons.First,biosurfactantsareconsideredenvironmentally“friendly”sincethey
are relatively nontoxic and biodegradable. Second, biosurfactants have unique
structures that are just starting to be appreciated for their potential applications
tomanydifferentfacetsofindustry,rangingfrombiotechnologytoenvironmental
cleanup.
This“MicrobiologyMonographs”volumecoversthecurrentknowledgeandthe
most recent advances in the field of microbial biosurfactants. Each chapter is
written by one or more expert scientists working on one class of these biosurfac-
tants.Thesereviewsincludethephysicochemicalpropertiesofbiosurfactants,their
roleinthephysiologyofthemicrobethatproducedthem,thebiosyntheticpathway
fortheirproduction,includingthegeneticregulation,andtheirpotentialbiotechno-
logicalapplications.
We wish to thank the contributing authors of this book for the high quality of
theirwork,theirpositiveattitudeinacceptingsuggestions,andveryimportantlyfor
the generosity with their time to write lengthy manuscripts, which I am sure
represented an important effort, despite having such tight agendas. Specially,
v
vi Preface
GS-Ch wants to thank Raina M. Maier for sharing her knowledge on the field of
biosurfactantsandforherfriendship.
We also want to acknowledge Jutta Lindenborn for her support in the editing
processandSpringerforpublishingthismonograph.Wehopeverymuchthatthis
projectofwritingabookthatreviewedthefascinatingfieldofsurfactantsproduced
bymicrobeswillbeappreciatedbythereaders.
MexicoCity,Mexico GloriaSobero´n-Cha´vez
Mu¨nster,Germany AlexanderSteinbu¨chel
Contents
Biosurfactants:AGeneralOverview ......................................... 1
GloriaSobero´n-Cha´vezandRainaM.Maier
Rhamnolipids:Detection,Analysis,Biosynthesis,GeneticRegulation,
andBioengineeringofProduction ........................................... 13
AhmadMohammadAbdel-Mawgoud,RudolfHausmann,
FrancoisLe´pine,MarkusM.Mu¨ller,andEricDe´ziel
SurfactinandOtherLipopeptidesfromBacillusspp. ...................... 57
PhilippeJacques
SerrawettinsandOtherSurfactantsProducedbySerratia ................ 93
ToheyMatsuyama,TaichiroTanikawa,andYojiNakagawa
Trehalolipids .................................................................. 121
ZongzeShao
MannosylerythritolLipids:MicrobialProduction
andTheirApplications ...................................................... 145
J.ArutchelviandM.Doble
Sophorolipids ................................................................. 179
IngeN.A.VanBogaertandWimSoetaert
Index .......................................................................... 211
vii
.
Biosurfactants: A General Overview
GloriaSobero´n-Cha´vezandRainaM.Maier
Contents
1 Introduction ................................................................................. 2
2 PhysicochemicalProperties,FormationofMicelles,andOtherAggregates ................ 2
3 BiosurfactantProductionintheEnvironment............................................... 6
4 Conclusions ................................................................................. 7
References .......................................................................................8
Abstract This Microbiology Monographs volume covers the current and most
recent advances in the field of microbial surfactants. There is increasing interest
inmicrobialbiosurfactantsforseveralreasons.First,biosurfactantsareconsidered
environmentally “friendly” since they are relatively nontoxic and biodegradable.
Second,biosurfactantshaveuniquestructuresthatarejuststartingtobeappreciated
fortheirpotentialapplicationtomanydifferentfacetsoftheindustry,rangingfrom
biotechnologytoenvironmentalcleanup.Theaimofthisintroductorychapteristo
giveageneraloverviewofbiosurfactants,theirproperties,theirrelationshiptothe
syntheticsurfactantindustry,andtheirdistributionintheenvironment.
G.Sobero´n-Cha´vez(*)
Departamento de Biolog´ıa Molecular yBioingenier´ıa,Instituto deInvestigaciones Biome´dicas,
UniversidadNacionalAuto´nomadeMe´xico,Apdo.Postal70228,CiudadUniversitaria,Me´xicoD.F.
04510,Me´xico
e-mail:[email protected]
R.M.Maier
DepartmentofSoil,WaterandEnvironmentalScience,CollegeofAgricultureandLifeSciences,
TheUniversityofArizona,Tucson,AZ,USA
e-mail:[email protected]
G.Sobero´n‐Cha´vez(ed.),Biosurfactants,MicrobiologyMonographs20, 1
DOI10.1007/978-3-642-14490-5_1,#Springer-VerlagBerlinHeidelberg2011
2 G.Sobero´n-Cha´vezandR.M.Maier
1 Introduction
The demand for new specialty surfactants in the agriculture, cosmetic, food,
pharmaceutical, and environmental industries is steadily increasing. Since these
surfactantsmustbebotheffectiveandenvironmentallycompatible,itisnaturalto
turntothemicrobialworldtotrytomeetthisdemand(Banatetal.2000;Mukherjee
et al. 2006). Each chapter in this volume focuses on one class of biosurfactant
produced by different microorganism and is written by one or more experts who
workwiththesefascinatingmolecules.Thesereviewsincludethephysicochemical
properties of biosurfactants, their role in the physiology of the microbe that
produces it, the biosynthetic pathway for their production, including the genetic
regulation,andpotentialbiotechnologicalapplications.
2 Physicochemical Properties, Formation of Micelles,
and Other Aggregates
Thetermsurfactantencompassesawidevarietyofcompounds,bothsyntheticand
biological, all of which have tensioactive properties. These molecules are amphi-
philicinnature,havingbothhydrophilicandhydrophobicdomainsthatallowthem
toexistpreferentiallyattheinterfacebetweenpolarandnonpolarmedia(Table1,
Fig.1).Thus,surfactantstendtoaccumulateatinterfaces(air–waterandoil–water)
as well as at air–solid and liquid–solid surfaces. Accumulation of surfactants at
interfacesorsurfacesresultsinthereductionofrepulsiveforcesbetweendissimilar
phases and allows the two phases to mix and interact more easily. Specifically,
surfactantscanreducesurface(liquid–air)andinterfacial(liquid–liquid)tension.In
fact,theeffectivenessofasurfactantisdeterminedbyitsabilitytolowerthesurface
tension,whichisameasureofthesurfacefreeenergyperunitarearequiredtobring
amoleculefromthebulkphasetothesurface.Thephysicochemicalcharacteristics
that define a surfactant are itsabilities toenhance the apparent water solubilityof
hydrophobic compounds, to form water–hydrocarbon emulsions, and to reduce
surfacetension(DesaiandBanat1997).
Typically,effectivesurfactantslowerthesurfacetensionbetweenwaterandair
from 72 to 35 mN/m and the interfacial tension between water and n-hexadecane
from40to1mN/m.Assurfactantmonomersareaddedintothesolution,thesurface
orinterfacialtensionwilldecreaseuntilthesurfactantconcentrationreacheswhatis
known as the critical micelle concentration (cmc). Above the cmc, no further
reduction in surface or interfacial tension is observed. At the cmc, surfactant
monomers begin to spontaneously associate into structured aggregates such as
micelles,vesicles,andlamellae(continuousbilayers).Theseaggregatesformasa
resultofnumerousweakchemicalinteractionsbetweenthepolarheadgroupsand
the nonpolar tail groups including hydrophobic, Van der Waals, and hydrogen
bonding. The cmc for any surfactant is dependent on the surfactant structure as