Isolation of Haemophilus influenzae genes that suppress Escherichia coli polA mutations

Haemophilus influenzae was found to produce a DNA polymerase that was similar to polymerase I of Escherichia coli. E. coli polA mutants were used as backgrounds for the selection of H. influenzae polA suppressor genes. Six different H. influenzae fragments were isolated that could suppress E. coli polA mutations. None of the suppressors appeared to encode the H. influenzae equivalent of the E. coli polA gene. One type of clone, represented by pGW41, caused a polymerase I activity to appear in a suppressed polA1 mutant. Plasmids from the pGW41 class contained two genes (pol-2 and pol-3) that were both required for polA suppression. Mutated nonsuppressing derivatives of the pGW41 class were used to create H. influenzae mutants that were deficient in polymerase I.     

重组菌产碱性果胶酯裂解酶酶学性质研究

利用盐析-透析-色谱流程建立快速高效纯化工程菌E.coli JM109(pHsh PL)所产碱性果胶酯裂解酶(PL)的方法,纯化后酶达到电泳纯,比酶活为1079U/mg.重组菌所产PL酶促反应适宜的pH为9～10,适宜温度为50～66 ℃,与酶基因来源野生菌所产PL相比,重组菌所产PL适宜pH范围有所扩大,并保持了野生菌PL的热稳定性.通过金属离子种类、浓度及存在时间对PL酶活力影响考察发现:在考察的离子中除Mg2 对酶活有较好的促进作用外,其余对重组菌PL均有抑制作用,其中Fe2 对酶活力抑制作用最强.该酶的Km值为20.93 mg/L,Vmax为105.3 μmol/min,反应活化能Ea为21.74 kJ/mol.对重组菌所产PL热稳定动力学进行分析,发现有底物情况下的失活常数kd(0.02 min-1)小于无底物情况下的失活常数kd(0.0342 min-1),说明当酶与底物结合形成复合物时对酶活具有保护作用.利用HPLC-ESI-MS对重组菌所产PL酶解产物进行测定发现,产物含有不饱和二聚半乳糖醛酸(m/z 350.82)和不饱和三聚半乳糖醛酸(m/z 527.04),同时测定结果中没有发现不饱和半乳糖醛酸单体(m/z 175),可以初步推测重组菌PL不能以不饱和二聚半乳糖醛酸和不饱和三聚半乳糖醛酸为底物进一步裂解.     

The structural heterogeneity of the lipooligosaccharide (LOS) expressed by pathogenic non-typeable Haemophilus influenzae strain NTHi 9274

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is an important pathogen responsible for otitis media in children and of pneumonitis in adults with depressed resistance. NTHi is acapsular and, therefore, capsular polysaccharide-based vaccines are ineffective for preventing infections by this pathogen. Recently it was found that a detoxified lipooligo-saccharide (LOS) conjugate from NTHi 9274 induced bactericidal antibodies effective against a large number of NTHi isolates, and conferred protection against NTHi otitis media in chinchillas (X.-X.Gu et al., 1996, Infect. Immun.,64, 4047-4053; X. -X.Gu et al., 1997., Infect. Immun.,65, 4488-4493). In this paper we report the chemical character-ization of the LOS from NTHi 9274 LOS. NTHi is capable of expressing a heterogenous population of LOS exhibited by multiple oligosaccharide (OS) epitopes. OSs released from the LOS of NTHi 9274 by mild acid hydrolysis were purified using Bio-Gel P4 gel permeation chromatography. The OSs were characterized by glycosyl composition analysis, glycosyl linkage analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), fast atom bombardment mass spectro-metry (FAB-MS), matrix-assisted laser desorption time of flight mass spectro-metry (MALDITOF-MS), and tandem MS/MS. At least 17 different OS molecules were observed. These contained variable glycosyl residues, phosphate (P), and phospho-ethanolamine (PEA) substituents. These molecules contained either three, four, or five hexoses, and all contained four heptosyl residues. The four heptosyl residues consisted of one D,D-Hep and three L,D-Hep. Dephosphorylation of the OSs with aqueous 48% hydrofluoric acid (HF) reduced the number of molecules to about to seven; Hex(1)-(7)Hep(4)Kdo(1). Of these seven, Hex(2)Hep(4)Kdo(1), Hex(3)Hep(4)Kdo(1), and Hex(4)Hep(4)Kdo(1)were the major constituents. Thus, this NTHi LOS preparation is very heterogeneous, and contains structures different from those previously published for Haemophilus influenzae. The tandem MS/MS analysis and glycosyl linkage data suggest that the LOS oligosaccharides have the following structures where Hex is either a Glc or Gal residue.     

基因工程菌大肠杆菌JM109富集废水中镍离子的研究

利用通过基因工程技术所构建的在细胞内同时表达出高特异性镍转运蛋白和金属硫蛋白的基因工程菌富集水体中的镍离子。菌体细胞对Ni²⁺的富集速率很快,富集过程满足Langmuir等温线模型。与原始宿主菌相比,经基因改造的基因工程菌不仅最大镍富集容量增加了5倍多,而且对pH值、离子强度的变化及其它共存重金属离子的影响都呈现出更强的适应性。相比而言,Na⁺、Ca²⁺、Cd²⁺、Pb²⁺的影响较小,但Mg²⁺、Hg²⁺和Cu²⁺所引起的负面效应较大。进一步的实验表明基因工程菌对Ni2+的富集行为不需要外加营养物质。     

Expression of 3-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (fabG) genes enhances production of polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer from glucose in recombinant Escherichia coli JM109

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biologically produced polyesters that have potential application as biodegradable plastics. Especially important are the short-chain-length-medium-chain-length (SCL-MCL) PHA copolymers, which have properties ranging from thermoplastic to elastomeric, depending on the ratio of SCL to MCL monomers incorporated into the copolymer. Because of the potential wide range of applications for SCL-MCL PHA copolymers, it is important to develop and characterize metabolic pathways for SCL-MCL PHA production. In previous studies, coexpression of PHA synthase genes and the 3-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein reductase gene (fabG) in recombinant Escherichia coli has been shown to enhance PHA production from related carbon sources such as fatty acids. In this study, a new fabG gene from Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 was cloned and its gene product characterized. Results indicate that the Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 and E. coli FabG proteins have different substrate specificities in vitro. The current study also presents the first evidence that coexpression of fabG genes from either E. coli or Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 with fabH(F87T) and PHA synthase genes can enhance the production of SCL-MCL PHA copolymers from nonrelated carbon sources. Differences in the substrate specificities of the FabG proteins were reflected in the monomer composition of the polymers produced by recombinant E. coli. SCL-MCL PHA copolymer isolated from a recombinant E. coli strain had improved physical properties compared to the SCL homopolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate. This study defines a pathway to produce SCL-MCL PHA copolymer from the fatty acid biosynthesis that may impact on PHA production in recombinant organisms.     

Physiological effects of TGF(alpha)-PE40 expression in recombinant Escherichia coli JM109

Physiological effects of isopropyl-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) induction were examined in Escherichia coli strain JM109 expressing a fusion protein composed of transforming growth factor alpha and a 40-kD portion of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exotoxin A (TGF(alpha)-PE40) under control of the tac promoter. Fermentations at the 15-L scale in complex medium compared growth and metabolite profiles of the untransformed JM109 host strain, the strain transformed with the vector lacking the TGF(alpha)-PE40 open reading frame (JM109[pKK2.7]), and the strain with the complete plasmid for TGF(alpha)-PE40 expression (JM109[pTAC-TGF57-PE40]). Metabolite and growth profiles of JM109 (pTAC-TGF57-PE40) cultures changed significantly in IPTG-induced versus uninduced cultures. Prior to induction, glucose was metabolized to acetate or completely oxidized to CO(2). Following induction, pyruvate was also excreted in addition to acetate. In the absence of inducer, pyruvate was excreted by JM109 (pTAC-TGF57-PE40) only when dissolved oxygen levels fell to less than 10% of saturation (microaerobic rather than anaerobic conditions). The untransformed JM109 host strain or JM109 (pKK2.7) did not excrete pyruvate in the presence or absence of inducer, although JM109 (pKK2.7) exhibited a pattern of growth following addition of IPTG that closely resembled JM109 (pTAC-TFG57-PE40). Fermentations of JM109 (pTAC-TFG57-PE40) in a synthetic medium supported lower expression levels, but resulted in similar alterations in metabolite profiles. Induction in synthetic medium resulted in pyruvate excretion without further acetate accumulation. Taken together, these data suggest that one consequence of TGF(alpha)-PE40 expression in JM109 is altered patterns of pyruvate oxidation. (c) 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

糖丁基梭菌产丁醇途径在大肠杆菌中的构建及发酵

摘要:【目的】通过克隆来源于糖丁基梭菌(Clostridium saccharobutylicum DSM13864)丁醇合成途径的关键酶基因(thlA,bcs-operon和adhE),构建产丁醇大肠杆菌。【方法】以Clostridium saccharobutylicum DSM13864的基因组为模板,分别扩增丁醇途径关键酶基因thlA,bcs-operon(crt-bcd1-etfB2-fixB2-hbd)和adhE,构建了两个重组质粒pETDuet-bcs和pRSFDuet-thlA-adhE,并成功转入E.coli JM109(DE3)实现异源表达,使大肠杆菌具备产丁醇能力。在半厌氧条件下进行重组菌的发酵,并研究不同培养基对产丁醇的影响。【结果】该重组菌在半厌氧条件下经摇瓶发酵丁醇产量达到25.4 mg/L,通过优化培养基后,在TB发酵培养基中丁醇产量可达到34.1 mg/L。【结论】通过构建重组共表达质粒,将糖丁基梭菌来源的丁醇途径关键酶基因在大肠杆菌中表达,成功构建产丁醇大肠杆菌。该研究提供了一株易于操作的丁醇发酵重组大肠杆菌,避免了传统梭菌发酵丁醇生产中苛刻的厌氧条件、易产孢子等限制问题。     

Characterization of lipopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli K-12 mutants.

Chemical analyses of the carbohydrate composition of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from a number of LPS mutants were used to propose a schematic composition for the LPS from Escherichia coli K-12. The formula contains four regions: the first consists of lipid A, ketodeoxyoctonoic acid, and a phosphorous component; the second contains only heptose; the third only glucose; and the fourth additional glucose, galactose, and rhamnose. LPS from E. coli B may have a similar composition but lacks the galactose and rhamnose units. A set of LPS-specific bacteriophages were used for comparing three mutants of Salmonella with a number of LPS mutants of E. coli K-12. The results confirm that there are basic similarities in the first and second regions of the LPS structure; they also support the four region divisions of the LPS formula. Paper chromatography was used for characterization of 32-P-labeled LPS from different strains of E. coli and Salmonella. The Rf values for LPS varied from 0.27 to 0.75 depending on the amounts of carbohydrates in the molecule. LPS from all strains studied was homogenous except for strain D31 which produced two types of LPS. Mild acid hydrolysis of labeled LPS liberated lipid A and two other components with phosphate, one of which was assigned to the first region. It is suggested that paper chromatography can be used in biosynthetic studies concerning regions 2 to 4.     

A plasmid carrying mucA and mucB genes from pKM101 in Haemophilus influenzae and Escherichia coli.

The plasmid pMucAMucB, constructed from the Haemophilus influenzae vector pDM2, and a similar plasmid, constructed from pBR322, increased the survival after UV irradiation of Escherichia coli AB1157 with the umu-36 mutation and also caused UV-induced mutation in the E. coli strain. In H. influenzae, pMucAMucB caused a small but reproducible increase in survival after UV irradiation in wild-type cells and in a rec-1 mutant, but there was no increase in spontaneous mutation in the wild type or in the rec-1 mutant and no UV-induced mutation.     

Characterization of the phosphocholine-substituted oligosaccharide in lipopolysaccharides of type b Haemophilus influenzae.

Haemophilus influenzae expresses heterogeneous populations of short-chain lipopolysaccharide (LPS) which exhibit extensive antigenic diversity among multiple oligosaccharide epitopes. These LPS oligosaccharide epitopes can carry phosphocholine (PCho) substituents, the expression of which is subject to high frequency phase variation mediated by genes in the lic1 genetic locus. The location and site of attachment of PCho substituents were determined by structural analysis of LPS from two type b H. influenzae strains, Eagan and RM7004. The lic2 locus is involved in phase variation of oligosaccharide expression. LPS obtained from the parent strains, from mutants generated by insertion of antibiotic resistance cassettes in the lic2 genetic locus, and from phase-variants showing high levels of PCho expression was characterized by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and 1H NMR spectroscopy of derived O-deacylated samples. ESI-MS of O-deacylated LPS from wild-type strains revealed mixtures of related glycoform structures differing in the number of hexose residues. Analysis of LPS from PCho-expressing phase-variants revealed similar mixtures of glycoforms, each containing a single PCho substituent. O-Deacylated LPS preparations from the lic2 mutants were much less complex than their respective parent strains, consisting only of Hex3 and/or Hex2 glycoforms, were examined in detail by high-field NMR techniques. It was found that the LPS samples contain the phosphoethanolamine (PEtn) substituted inner-core element, L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1-->2)-[PEtn-->6]-L-alpha-D-Hepp-(1--> 3)-L-alpha-D-He pp-(1-->5)-alpha-Kdo in which the major glycoforms carry a beta-D-Glcp or beta-D-Glcp-(1-->4)-beta-D-Glcp at the O-4 position of the 3-substituted heptose (HepI) and a beta-D-Galp at the O-2 position of the terminal heptose (HepIII). LPS from the lic2 mutants of both type b strains were found to carry PCho groups at the O-6 position of the terminal beta-D-Galp residue attached to HepIII. In the parent strains, the central heptose (HepII) of the LPS inner-core element is also substituted by hexose containing oligosaccharides. The expression of the galabiose epitope in LPS of H. influenzae type b strains has previously been linked to genes comprising the lic2 locus. The present study provides definitive evidence for the role of lic2 genes in initiating chain extension from HepII. From the analysis of core oligosaccharide samples, LPS from the lic2 mutant strain of RM7004 was also found to carry O-acetyl substituents. Mono-, di-, and tri-O-acetylated LPS oligosaccharides were identified. The major O-acetylated glycoforms were found to be substituted at the O-3 position of HepIII. A di-O-acetylated species was characterized which was also substituted at the O-6 postion of the terminal beta-D-Glc in the Hex3 glycoform. This is the first report pointing to the occurrence of O-acetyl groups in the inner-core region of H. influenzae LPS. We have previously shown that in H. influenzae strain Rd, a capsule-deficient type d strain, PCho groups are expressed in a different molecular environment, being attached at the O-6 position of a beta-D-Glcp, which is in turn attached to HepI.     

Electrochemistry of Escherichia coli JM109: direct electron transfer and antibiotic resistance

In this study, the cyclic voltammetry (CV) and square wave voltammetry (SWV) techniques were used to investigate the extracellular electron transfer from Escherichia coli JM109. It was demonstrated that the formal redox potential of direct electron transfer between electrode and an E. coli JM109 cell in aerobic buffer corresponds to -0.42 V vs. Ag/AgCl. Based on the electroactivity of bacterial cells, the electrochemical system for definition of sensitivity of microbiological material to antibiotics cefepime, ampicillin, amikacin, and erythromycin was proposed. The results obtained indicate that with electrochemical methods it is possible to provide screening of potential drugs for bacterial diseases. The electrochemical method allows estimating the degree of E. coli JM109 cells resistance to antibiotics within 2-5h using disposable screen-printed graphite electrodes.     

Vanillin bioproduction from alkaline hydrolyzate of corn cob by Escherichia coli JM109/pBB1

Hydrolysis of corn cob performed for 6 h with 0.5 N NaOH at solid/liquid ratio of 0.084 g/g allowed obtaining a hydrolyzate containing 1171 ± 34 mg/l ferulic acid and 2156 ± 63 mg/l p-coumaric acid that was used as a medium for vanillin bioproduction by the engineered strain Escherichia coli JM109/pBB1. Aiming at maximizing vanillin bioproduction, the effects of medium heat sterilization, one-stage or two-stage pre-cultivation, adaptation of the microorganism to the hydrolyzate and inoculum biomass level were investigated. Biomass pre-cultivated once in unsterilized hydrolyzate was able to effectively convert ferulic and p-coumaric acids to a mixture of vanillin, vanillic acid and vanillyl alcohol provided with the typical vanilla flavor. At initial biomass concentration of 0.5 g_DM/l, maximum values of vanillin concentration (239 ± 15 mg/l), vanillin yield on consumed ferulic acid (0.66 ± 0.03 mol/mol) and vanillin volumetric productivity (10.9 ± 0.7 mg/lh) were obtained after 22 h.     

Development of peptide mimotopes of lipooligosaccharide from nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae as vaccine candidates

Nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae (NTHi) is a common cause of otitis media in children and lower respiratory tract diseases in adults. So far there is no effective vaccine against NTHi. A major surface-exposed component of NTHi, lipooligosaccharide (LOS), is a virulence factor as well as a potential protective Ag. LOS is too toxic to be administered in humans. However, detoxified LOS is a T cell-independent small molecule and is poorly immunogenic in vivo, so we converted LOS into a nontoxic T cell-dependent Ag through the use of peptides that mimic the LOS by screening a phage-display peptide library with a rabbit Ab specific for NTHi LOS. Fifty-six phage clones were found to share LOS mimicry molecules. Among them, 22 clones were subjected to DNA sequencing, and four consensus sequences were identified as NMMRFTSQPPNN, NMMNYIMDPRTH, NMMKYISPPIFL, and NMMRFTELSTPS. Three of the four synthetic peptides showed strong binding reactivity to the rabbit anti-LOS Ab and also a mouse bactericidal monoclonal anti-LOS Ab in vitro, and elicited specific serum anti-LOS Abs in rabbits (27- to 81-fold) after conjugation with keyhole limpet hemocyanin. Passive immunization with the rabbit antisera resulted in a significantly enhanced pulmonary bacterial clearance in a mouse model. The enhanced bacterial clearance was eliminated if the rabbit serum was preabsorbed with NTHi LOS. These data indicate that the peptide mimotopes of LOS that we have identified might be potential components of peptide vaccines against NTHi.     

Coexpression of genetically engineered 3-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III (fabH) and polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase (phaC) genes leads to short-chain-length-medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoate copolymer production from glucose in Escherichia coli JM109

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) can be divided into three main types based on the sizes of the monomers incorporated into the polymer. Short-chain-length (SCL) PHAs consist of monomer units of C3 to C5, medium-chain-length (MCL) PHAs consist of monomer units of C6 to C14, and SCL-MCL PHAs consist of monomers ranging in size from C4 to C14. Although previous studies using recombinant Escherichia coli have shown that either SCL or MCL PHA polymers could be produced from glucose, this study presents the first evidence that an SCL-MCL PHA copolymer can be made from glucose in recombinant E. coli. The 3-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein synthase III gene (fabH) from E. coli was modified by saturation point mutagenesis at the codon encoding amino acid 87 of the FabH protein sequence, and the resulting plasmids were cotransformed with either the pAPAC plasmid, which harbors the Aeromonas caviae PHA synthase gene (phaC), or the pPPAC plasmid, which harbors the Pseudomonas sp. strain 61-3 PHA synthase gene (phaC1), and the abilities of these strains to accumulate PHA from glucose were assessed. It was found that overexpression of several of the mutant fabH genes enabled recombinant E. coli to induce the production of monomers of C4 to C10 and subsequently to produce unusual PHA copolymers containing SCL and MCL units. The results indicate that the composition of PHA copolymers may be controlled by the monomer-supplying enzyme and further reinforce the idea that fatty acid biosynthesis may be used to supply monomers for PHA production.     

用重组大肠杆菌JM109(pKST11)转化苯生产顺-1,2-二羟基-3,5-环己二烯

顺-1,2-二羟基-3,5-环己二烯（简称DHCD）是航天业、电子工业、医药业以及精细化工业上重要的手性化合物。利用重组E. coli JM109 (pKST11),采用适时监测发酵过程中全细胞甲苯双加氧酶（Toluene dioxygenase,TDO）活性的方法,研究了发酵生产DHCD工艺中的重要影响因子IPTG以及底物苯的供给方式对DHCD产量的影响。研究结果表明：（1）发酵初期利用IPTG诱导TDO的表达,不利于细胞生长,在对数生长中期（6或8h）,采用0.5mmol/L IPTG即可诱导出TDO的最高表达。（2）发酵液中的苯对全细胞甲苯双加氧酶(TDO)的活性有抑制作用,而利用液体石蜡作为缓释剂进行两相法发酵则降低了苯的毒害,明显提高了DHCD的产量。当采用传统的通气供苯方法,DHCD的产量仅有75 g/L;批式添加液体石蜡与苯的混溶物使DHCD的产量提高到226 g/L,是通气供苯法的3倍;而采用流加的方式添加液体石蜡与苯的混溶物使DHCD的产量进一步提高到368 g/L,是通气供苯法的5倍。证明通过发酵工艺的优化可以解决苯的毒害与苯作为反应底物在水相中需要有一定浓度之间的矛盾,获得较好的转化结果。     

用重组大肠杆菌JM109（pKST11）转化苯生产顺-1,2-二羟基-3，5-环己二烯

顺-1,2-二羟基-3,5-环己二烯（简称DHCD）是航天业,电子工业,医药业以及精细化工业上重要的手性化合物,利用重组E.coli JM109（pKST11）,采用适时监测发酵过程中全细胞甲苯双加氧酶（Toluene dioxygenase,TDO）活性的方法,研究了发酵生产DHCD工艺中的重要影响因子IPTG以及底物苯的供给方式对DHCD产量的影响,研究结果表明：（1）发酵初期利用IPTG诱导TDO的表达,不利于细胞生长,在对数生长中期（6或8h）,采用0.5mmol/L IPTG即可诱导出TDO的最高表达。（2）发酵液中的苯对全细胞甲苯双加氧酶（TDO）的活性有抑制作用,而利用液体石蜡作为缓释剂进行两相法发酵则降低了苯的毒害,明显提高了DHCD的产量。当采用传统的通气供苯方法,DHCD的产量仅有7.5g/L;批式添加液体石蜡与苯的混溶物使DHCD的产量提高到22.6g/L,是通气供苯法的3倍;而采用流加的方式添加液体石蜡与苯的混溶物使DHCD的产量进一步提高到36.8g/L,是通气供苯法的5倍,证明通过发酵工艺的优化可以解决苯的毒害与苯作为反应底物在水相中需要一定浓度之间的矛盾,获得较好的转化结果。     

Structural investigation of lipopolysaccharides from nontypeable Haemophilus influenzae: investigation of inner-core phosphoethanolamine addition in NTHi strain 981

LPS of NTHi comprises a conserved tri-l-glycero-D-manno-heptosyl inner-core moiety (l-alpha-D-Hepp-(1-->2)-[PEtn-->6]-l-alpha-D-Hepp-(1-->3)-[beta-D-Glcp-(1-->4)]-l-alpha-D-Hepp-(1-->5)-alpha-Kdop) in which addition of PEtn to the central heptose (HepII) in strain Rd is controlled by the gene lpt6. It was recently shown that NTHi strain 981 contains an additional PEtn linked to O-3 of the terminal heptose of the inner-core moiety (HepIII). In order to establish whether lpt6 is also involved in adding PEtn to HepIII, lpt6 in strain 981 was inactivated. The structure of the LPS of the resulting mutant strain 98llpt6 was investigated by MS and NMR techniques by which it was confirmed that the lpt6 gene product is responsible for addition of PEtn to O-6 of HepII in strain 981. However, it is not responsible for adding PEtn to O-3 of HepIII since the 981lpt6 mutant still had full substitution with PEtn at HepIII.     

Expression of 3-Ketoacyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Reductase (fabG) Genes Enhances Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoate Copolymer from Glucose in Recombinant Escherichia coli JM109

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biologically produced polyesters that have potential application as biodegradable plastics. Especially important are the short-chain-length-medium-chain-length (SCL-MCL) PHA copolymers, which have properties ranging from thermoplastic to elastomeric, depending on the ratio of SCL to MCL monomers incorporated into the copolymer. Because of the potential wide range of applications for SCL-MCL PHA copolymers, it is important to develop and characterize metabolic pathways for SCL-MCL PHA production. In previous studies, coexpression of PHA synthase genes and the 3-ketoacyl-acyl carrier protein reductase gene (fabG) in recombinant Escherichia coli has been shown to enhance PHA production from related carbon sources such as fatty acids. In this study, a new fabG gene from Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 was cloned and its gene product characterized. Results indicate that the Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 and E. coli FabG proteins have different substrate specificities in vitro. The current study also presents the first evidence that coexpression of fabG genes from either E. coli or Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 with fabH(F87T) and PHA synthase genes can enhance the production of SCL-MCL PHA copolymers from nonrelated carbon sources. Differences in the substrate specificities of the FabG proteins were reflected in the monomer composition of the polymers produced by recombinant E. coli. SCL-MCL PHA copolymer isolated from a recombinant E. coli strain had improved physical properties compared to the SCL homopolymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate. This study defines a pathway to produce SCL-MCL PHA copolymer from the fatty acid biosynthesis that may impact on PHA production in recombinant organisms.