Unit 18: Production of vitamins

16 flashcards · Other · by Yaiza Anido

1. what is vitamin B12 (cobalamin)

   Vitamin B12 is an essential vitamin involved in the synthesis of myelin, the formation of red blood cells, DNA synthesis and fatty acid and amino acid metabolism.

2. What 5 things are required for the synthesis of vitamin B12 (cobalamin) synthesis

   Syccinyl CoA, Cobalt, Glycine, 5'desoxiadenosine and GTP

3. Name the 2 m.o that we can use for the synthesis of cobalamin (vitamin B12)

   Propionibaterium shermanii Propionibacterium frederinchii

4. what can pseudomonas denitrificar use cobalamin for

   Pseudomonas denitrificar can use cobalamin to fixate nitrogen

5. What is riboflaving (B2)?

   Riboflavin is an essential compound of cellular metabolism since it is the precursor of hte flavocoenzymes: FMN and FAD whcih are used in the ETC. We cannot synthesize them so we need to get them from out diet.

6. What m.o can we use for the fermentation of Riboflavin?

   For the fermentation of riboflavin we can use Bacillus pulimus which transforms glucose to D-ribose which can then be chemically transformed into riboflavin.

7. The importance of Ashbya gossypii for riboflavin syntehesis

   Ashbya gossypii produces a great yield and is very cheap It uses GTP as a starting molecule and NADP which is then incoorporated into the reaction After a series of reactions we obtain riboflavin which accumulates in granules inside of the cells known as crystals. These granules can be seen with a fluorescent molecule

8. What are carotenoids used for and what are they classified into

   Carotenoids are used as colorants. They can be classified into xantophyls and carotens.

9. What are xantophyls?

   Xantophyls are large aliphatic molecules that can either have or not a phenolic group. They contain a molecule of oxygen.

10. What is the different between xantophyls and carotenes?

    Xantophyls have an oxygen molecule while carotenes do not have an oxygen molecule, they are purely HC

11. What m.o do we use if we want o purify carotenes in the lab?

    If we want to purify them in the laboratory we can use the yeast Blakeslea trispora, which has the greater yield. In addition, they can be produced by Flavobacterium and Mycobacterium but with a lower yield.

12. What is trisporic acid?

    Trisporic acid is a fungal hormone. It is an 18C terpenoid. It is a prohormone compound which means that it induces the differentiation in fungal species and higher yield. It causes an increase in cotnent of β-carotene and ergosterol in recipient mycelium.

13. In what pathway is trisporic acid synthesized?

    Trisporic acid is synthesized in the same pathway we use to synthesize the B-carotenes and retinol pathways in some fungi.

14. Explain the production of beta cartene.

    We start from two different cultures, one with the Trisporic acid and one with the Blakeslea trispora. We induce the sporulation of the fungi, and the spores are incubated for a week in an agar. The preinoculum is added with small volumes. When we make these fermentations we have to add aeration. When we have the two incula we mix them and add bubbling because oxygen is important in this step. We take it to a bigger fermenter, and we have to control the feeding: we put corn in water, macerate a…

15. How can we produce Vitamin C

    We can produce it from glucose. From that we produce D-sorbitol, which is fermented by Acetobacter suboxydans (Russchner reaction). After that, it is chemically transformed into Vitamin C .

16. Explain how Vitamin C can be produced from a sequential use of microorganisms Erwinia spp and Corynebacterium spp

    Another way to produce it is a sequential use of organisms: D-glucose is converted into an acid by Erwinia spp, and after that Corynebacterium spp transforms it into vitamin C.