An Escherichia coli FdrA Variant Derived from Syntrophic Coculture with a Methanogen Increases Succinate Production Due to Changes in Allantoin Degradation.

Wild-type Escherichia coli was adapted to syntrophic growth with Methanobacterium formicicum for glycerol fermentation over 44 weeks. Succinate production by E. coli started to increase in the early stages of syntrophic growth.

Long-term adaptation of Escherichia coli to methanogenic co-culture enhanced succinate production from crude glycerol.

Escherichia coli can hardly grow anaerobically on glycerol without exogenous electron acceptor. The formate-consuming methanogen Methanobacterium formicicum plays a role as a living electron acceptor in glycerol fermentation of E. coli.