Succinic Acid Production by Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens ATCC 29305 Growing on Galactose, Galactose/Glucose, and Galactose/Lactose

Succinic acid-producing Anaerobiospirillum succiniciproducens was anaerobically grown on galactose, galactose/glucose, or galactose/lactose in order to study its galactose fermentation. Unlike a previous report, A. succiniciproducens was found to efficiently metabolize galactose as the sole carbon source at a rate of 2.4 g/g-DCW/h and produced succinic acid with as high a yield of 87% as with using glucose. When glucose and galactose were present, A. succiniciproducens metabolized both sugars simultaneously. Furthermore, when lactose and galactose coexisted, lactose did not inhibit the galactose fermentation of A. succiniciproducens. Therefore, co-utilization of galactose and other sugars can improve the productivity and economy of bio-based succinic acid processes.