title: Efficient production of polyhydroxyalkanoates from plant oils by Alcaligenes eutrophus and its recombinant strain.
abstract: The ability of Alcaligenes eutrophus to grow and produce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) on plant oils was evaluated. When olive oil, corn oil, or palm oil was fed as a sole carbon source, the wild-type strain of A. eutrophus grew well and accumulated poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) homopolymer up to approximately 80% (w/w) of the cell dry weight during its stationary growth phase. In addition, a recombinant strain of A. eutrophus PHB-4 (a PHA-negative mutant), harboring a PHA synthase gene from Aeromonas caviae, was revealed to produce a random copolyester of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyhexanoate from these plant oils with a high cellular content (approximately 80% w/w). The mole fraction of 3-hydroxyhexanoate units was 4-5 mol% whatever the structure of the triglycerides fed. The polyesters produced by the A. eutrophus strains from olive oil were 200-400 kDa (the number-average molecular mass). The results demonstrate that renewable and inexpensive plant oils are excellent carbon sources for efficient production of PHA using A. eutrophus strains.
authors.affiliation: Polymer Chemistry Laboratory, Institute of Physical and Chemical Research (RIKEN), Saitama, Japan.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Fukui
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Doi
mesh_terms: D000421:Alcaligenes / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D002244:Carbon / Q000378:metabolism; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D002850:Chromatography, Gel; D006880:Hydroxy Acids / Q000378:metabolism*; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000378:metabolism*; D013997:Time Factors; D014169:Transformation, Bacterial
chemical_list: D006880:Hydroxy Acids; D010938:Plant Oils; D002244:Carbon