Efficient simultaneous utilization of glucose and xylose from corn straw by Sphingomonas sanxanigenens NX02 to produce microbial exopolysaccharide

• Glucose and xylose were natively co-utilized by Sphingomonas sanxanigenens NX02. • Co-substrate could accelerate bacterial growth and polysaccharide biosynthesis. • Corn straw total hydrolysate utilization showed higher production than glucose. • Three xylose metabolism pathways: XI, Weimberg, and Dahms were found in NX02. • The mechanism of CCR-negative in strain NX02 was mainly due to the incomplete PTS. Lignocellulosic biomass is a cheap and abundant carbon source in the microbial manufacturing industry. The native co-utilization of glucose and xylose from corn straw total hydrolysate (CSTH) by Sphingomonas sanxanigenens NX02 to produce exopolysaccharide Sanxan was investigated. Batch fermentation demonstrated that, compared to single sugar fermentation, co-substrate of glucose and xylose accelerated cell growth and Sanxan production in the initial 24 h with the same consumption rate. Additionally, NX02 converted CSTH into Sanxan with a yield of 13.10 ± 0.35 g/Kg, which is slightly higher than that of glucose fermentation. Coexistence of three xylose metabolic pathways (Xylose isomerase, Weimberg, and Dahms pathway), incomplete phosphoenolpyruvate-dependent phosphotransferase system, and reinforced fructose metabolism were recognized as the co-utilization mechanism through comparative transcriptome analysis. Therefore, strain NX02 has a prospect of becoming an attractive platform organism to produce polysaccharides and other bio-based products derived from agricultural waste hydrolysate rich in both glucose and xylose.