Synthesis of high-molecular-weight poly([R]-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate) in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plant cells.
High-molecular-weight poly([R]-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), a biodegradable thermoplastic, was produced from a suspension culture of transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana plant cells expressing two genes from the bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus involved in the synthesis of PHB. The molecular structure of the plant-produced polymer was analysed by gas chromatography, mass spectrometry, proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, infra-red spectroscopy, spectropolarimetry, differential scanning calorimetry, X-ray diffraction and size exclusion chromatography. The results indicate that the polymer from transgenic plants appears to have a chemical structure identical to that of PHB produced by bacteria. However, the molecular weight distribution of the plant-produced PHB was much broader than that of typical bacterial PHB.
Poirier
Y
Y
Carnegie Institution of Washington, Department of Plant Biology, Stanford, CA 94305, USA.
Somerville
C
C
Schechtman
L A
LA
Satkowski
M M
MM
Noda
I
I
D000421:Alcaligenes / Q000235:genetics; D017360:Arabidopsis / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D005798:Genes, Bacterial; D006885:Hydroxybutyrates / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D015394:Molecular Structure; D008970:Molecular Weight; D030821:Plants, Genetically Modified; D011091:Polyesters / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction; D000094122:Polyhydroxybutyrates
D006885:Hydroxybutyrates; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D011091:Polyesters; C003182:poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate; D000094122:Polyhydroxybutyrates