Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate) Synthesis Genes in Azotobacter sp. Strain FA8

Genes responsible for the synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in Azotobacter sp. FA8 were cloned and analyzed. A PHB polymerase gene (phbC) was found downstream from genes coding for β-ketothiolase (phbA) and acetoacetyl-coenzyme A reductase (phbB). A PHB synthase mutant was obtained by gene inactivation and used for genetic studies. The phbC gene from this strain was introduced into Ralstonia eutropha PHB-4 (phbC-negative mutant), and the recombinant accumulated PHB when either glucose or octanoate was used as a source of carbon, indicating that this PHB synthase cannot incorporate medium-chain-length hydroxyalkanoates into PHB.     

Effect of amino acid supplementation on the synthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) by recombinant pha Sa + Escherichia coli

The effect of different amino acid supplements to the basal medium on poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) accumulation by recombinant pha _Sa ⁺ Escherichia coli (ATCC: PTA-1579) harbouring the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-synthesizing genes from Streptomyces aureofaciens NRRL 2209 was studied. With the exception of glycine and valine, all other amino acid supplements brought about enhancement of PHB accumulation. In particular, cysteine, isoleucine or methionine supplementation increased PHB accumulation by 60, 45 and 61% respectively by the recombinant E. coli as compared with PHB accumulation by this organism in the basal medium. The effect of co-ordinated addition of assorted combinations of these three amino acids on PHB accumulation was studied using a 2³ factorial design. The three-factor interaction analyses revealed that the effect of the three amino acids on PHB accumulation by the recombinant E. coli was in the order of cysteine > methionine > isoleucine. The defined medium supplemented with cysteine, methionine and isoleucine at the concentration of 150 mgl^–1 each and glycerol as the carbon source was the optimum medium that resulted in the accumulation of about 52% PHB of cell dry weight.     

Identification and Isolation of Genes Involved in Poly(β-Hydroxybutyrate) Biosynthesis in Azospirillum brasilense and Characterization of a phbC Mutant

Like many other prokaryotes, rhizobacteria of the genus Azospirillum produce high levels of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) under suboptimal growth conditions. Utilization of PHB by bacteria under stress has been proposed as a mechanism that favors their compatible establishment in competitive environments, thus showing great potential for the improvement of bacterial inoculants for plants and soils. The three genes that are considered to be essential in the PHB biosynthetic pathway, phbA (β-ketothiolase), phbB (acetoacetyl coenzyme A reductase), and phbC (PHB synthase), were identified in Azospirillum brasilense strain Sp7, cloned, and sequenced. The phbA, -B, and -C genes were found to be linked together and located on the chromosome. An A. brasilense phbC mutant was obtained by insertion of a kanamycin resistance cassette within the phbC gene. No PHB production was detected in this mutant. The capability of the wild-type strain to endure starvation conditions was higher than that of the mutant strain. However, motility, cell aggregation, root adhesion, and exopolysaccharide (EPS) and capsular polysaccharide (CPS) production were higher in the phbC mutant strain than in the wild type.     

Construction of PHB and PHBV multiple-gene vectors driven by an oil palm leaf-specific promoter

One of the targets in oil palm genetic engineering programme is the production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-valerate (PHBV) in the oil palm leaf tissues. Production of PHB requires the use of phbA (β-ketothiolase type A), phbB (acetoacetyl-CoA reductase) and phbC (PHB synthase) genes of Ralstonia eutropha, whereas bktB (β-ketothiolase type B), phbB, phbC genes of R. eutropha and tdcB (threonine dehydratase) gene of Escherichia coli were used for PHBV production. Each of these genes was fused with a transit peptide (Tp) of oil palm acyl-carrier-protein (ACP) gene, driven by an oil palm leaf-specific promoter (LSP1) to genetically engineer the PHB/PHBV pathway to the plastids of the leaf tissues. In total, four transformation vectors, designated pLSP15 (PHB) and pLSP20 (PHBV), and pLSP13 (PHB) and pLSP23 (PHBV), were constructed for transformation in Arabidopsis thaliana and oil palm, respectively. The phosphinothricin acetyltransferase gene (bar) driven by CaMV35S promoter in pLSP15 and pLSP20, and ubiquitin promoter in pLSP13 and pLSP23 were used as the plant selectable markers. Matrix attachment region of tobacco (RB7MAR) was also included in the vectors to stabilize the transgene expression and to minimize silencing due to positional effect. Restriction digestion, PCR amplification and/or sequencing were carried out to ensure sequence integrity and orientation.     

Thermotolerant poly(3-hydroxybutyrate)-degrading bacteria from hot compost and characterization of the PHB depolymerase of Schlegelella sp. KB1a

Eighteen gram-negative thermotolerant poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB)-degrading bacterial isolates (T _max60°C) were obtained from compost. Isolates produced clearing zones on opaque PHB agar, indicating the presence of extracellular PHB depolymerases. Comparison of physiological characteristics and determination of 16S rRNA gene sequences of four selected isolates revealed a close relatedness of three isolates (SA8, SA1, and KA1) to each other and to Schlegelella thermodepolymerans and Caenibacterium thermophilum. The fourth strain, isolate KB1a, showed reduced similarities to the above-mentioned isolates and species and might represent a new species of Schlegelella. Evidence is provided that S. thermodepolymerans and C. thermophilum are only one species. The PHB depolymerase gene, phaZ, of isolate KB1a was cloned and functionally expressed in Escherichia coli. Purified PHB depolymerase was most active around pH 10 and 76°C. The DNA-deduced amino acid sequence of the mature protein (49.4 kDa) shared significant homologies to other extracellular PHB depolymerases with a domain substructure: catalytic domain type 2—linker domain fibronectin type 3—substrate-binding domain type 1. A catalytic triad consisting of S₂₀, D₁₀₄, and H₁₃₈ and a pentapeptide sequence (GLS₂₀AG) characteristic for PHB depolymerases (PHB depolymerase box, GLSXG) and for other serine hydrolases (lipase box, GXSXG) were identified.This contribution is dedicated to Hans G. Schlegel in honor of his 80th birthday.Fabian Romen and Simone Reinhardt share first authorship.     

Degradation of polyethylene succinate (PES) by a new thermophilic <Emphasis Type="Italic">Microbispora</Emphasis> strain

Thermophilic actinomycetes were isolated from sediment of the Chingshuei hot spring in north Taiwan, and the strain HS 45-1 was selected from colonies which formed distinct clear zones on agar plate with emulsified polyethylene succinate (PES). The film of PES disappeared within 6 days in liquid cultures at 50°C. The strain HS 45-1 was also able to degrade poly (ε-carpolactone) (PCL) and poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) films completely within 6 days in liquid cultures. Basing on the results of phynotypic characteristics, phylogenetic studies and DNA-DNA hybridization, strain HS 45-1 should be assigned to Micorbispora rosea subsp. taiwanensis.     

Non-conventional yeasts as producers of polyhydroxyalkanoates—genetic engineering of<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Arxula adeninivorans</Emphasis>

The non-conventional yeast Arxula adeninivorans was equipped with the genes phbA, phbB and phbC of the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthetic pathway of Ralstonia eutropha, which encode -ketothiolase, NADPH-linked acetoacetyl-CoA reductase and PHA synthase, respectively. Arxula strains transformed solely with the PHA synthase gene (phbC) were able to produce PHA. However, the maximum content of the polymer detected in these strains was just 0.003% poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and 0.112% poly-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHV). The expression of all three genes (phbA, phbB, phbC) resulted in small increases in the PHA content of the transgenic Arxula cells. However, under controlled cultivation conditions with minimal medium and ethanol as the carbon source, the recombinant yeast was able to accumulate up to 2.2% PHV and 0.019% PHB. Possible reasons for these differences are discussed.     

Production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) from whey by cell recycle fed-batch culture of recombinant Escherichia coli

A new fermentation strategy using cell recycle membrane system was developed for the efficient production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) from whey by recombinant Escherichia coli strain CGSC 4401 harboring the Alcaligenes latus polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis genes. By cell recycle, fed-batch cultivation employing an external membrane module, the working volume of fermentation could be constantly maintained at 2.3 l. The final cell concentration, PHB concentration and PHB content of 194 g l^–1, 168 g l^–1 and 87%, respectively, were obtained in 36.5 h by the pH-stat cell recycle fed-batch culture using whey solution concentrated to contain 280 g lactose l^–1 as a feeding solution, resulting in a high productivity of 4.6 g PHB l^–1 h^–1.     

A lower specificity PhaC2 synthase from Pseudomonas stutzeri catalyses the production of copolyesters consisting of short-chain-length and medium-chain-length 3-hydroxyalkanoates

A polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase gene phaC2 _Ps from Pseudomonas stutzeri strain 1317 was introduced into a PHA synthase gene phbC _Re negative mutant, Ralstonia eutropha PHB⁻4. It conferred on the host strain the ability to synthesize PHA, the monomer compositions of which varied widely when grown on different carbon sources. During cultivation on gluconate, the presence of phaC2 _Ps in R. eutropha PHB⁻4 led to the accumulation of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) homopolymer in an amount of 40.9 wt% in dry cells. With fatty acids, the recombinant successfully produced PHA copolyesters containing both short-chain-length and medium-chain-length 3-hydroxyalkanoate (3HA) of 4–12 carbon atoms in length. When cultivated on a mixture of gluconate and fatty acid, the monomer composition of accumulated PHA was greatly affected and the monomer content was easily regulated by the addition of fatty acids in the cultivation medium. After the (R)-3-hydroxydecanol-ACP:CoA transacylase gene phaG _Pp from Pseudomonas putida was introduced into phaC2 _Ps-containing R. eutropha PHB⁻4, poly(3HB-co-3HA) copolyester with a very high 3-hydroxybutyrate (3HB) fraction (97.3 mol%) was produced from gluconate and the monomer compositions of PHA synthesized from fatty acids were also altered. This study clearly demonstrated that PhaC2_Ps cloned from P. stutzeri 1317 has extraordinarily low substrate specificity in vivo, though it has only 54% identity in comparison to a previously described low-substrate-specificity PHA synthase PhaC1_Ps from Pseudomonas sp. 61–3. This study also indicated that the monomer composition and content of the synthesized PHA can be effectively modulated by controlling the addition of carbon sources or by modifying metabolic pathways in the hosts.     

Functional role of granule-associated genes, phaP and phaR, in poly-β-hydroxybutyrate biosynthesis in recombinant E. coli harboring phbCAB operon

The expression characteristic of two granule-associated genes, phaP and phaR, in a recombinant E. coli harboring the phbCAB operon was investigated. Polybetamydroxybutyrate (PHB) accumulation increased up from 16% to 57% (w/w) after transformation of the granule-associated genes due to the stabilization of PHB granules rather than by a direct effect on PHB biosynthetic enzymes. The morphology of PHB granules also varied depending on the transformed phaP and phaR genes.     

In vivo blending of medium chain length polyhydroxy-alkanoates and polyhydroxybutyrate using recombinant Pseudomonas putida harboring phbCAB operon of Ralstonia eutropha

The in vivo blending of medium chain length polyhydroxyalkanoates (mcl-PHA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) was carried out using recombinant Pseudomonas putida after transforming the phbCAB operon of Ralstonia eutropha. The most suitable carbon sources for the production of mcl-PHA and PHB blends were identified to be octanoate and gluconate. The molar fractions of 3-hydroxyoctanoate and 3-hydroxybutyrate in the polymer blends were effectively modulated by controlling the mixing ratio of octanoate and gluconate, thereby producing a composition ranging from 95% mcl-PHA to 78% PHB.     

Effect of anaerobic promoters on the microaerobic production of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) in recombinant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

Nine anaerobic promoters were cloned and constructed upstream of PHB synthesis genes phbCAB from Ralstonia eutropha for the micro- or anaerobic PHB production in recombinant Escherichia coli. Among the promoters, the one for alcohol dehydrogenase (P _adhE ) was found most effective. Recombinant E. coli JM 109 (pWCY09) harboring P _adhE and phbCAB achieved a 48% PHB accumulation in the cell dry weight after 48 h of static culture compared with only 30% PHB production under its native promoter. Sixty-seven percent PHB was produced in the dry weight (CDW) of an acetate pathway deleted (Δpta deletion) E. coli JW2294 harboring the vector pWCY09. In a batch process conducted in a 5.5-l NBS fermentor containing 3 l glucose LB medium, E. coli JW2294 (pWCY09) grew to 7.8 g/l CDW containing 64% PHB after 24 h of microaerobic incubation. In addition, molecular weight of PHB was observed to be much higher under microaerobic culture conditions. The high activity of P _adhE appeared to be the reason for improved micro- or anaerobic cell growth and PHB production while high molecular weight contributed to the static culture condition.     

Polyhydroxybutyrate in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Rhizobium</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Bradyrhizobium</Emphasis>: quantification and <Emphasis Type="Italic">phbC</Emphasis> gene expression

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are hydroxyalkanoate polymers that are produced and accumulate by many kinds of bacteria. These polymers act as an energy store for bacteria. Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the most studied polymer in the PHA family. These polymers have awakened interest in the environmental and industrial research areas because they are biodegradable and have thermoplastic qualities, like polypropylene. In this work, we analyzed the PHB production in Bradyrhizobium sp., Rhizobium leguminosarum bv. phaseoli, and Rhizobium huautlense cultured with two different carbon sources. We did biochemical quantification of PHB production during the three phases of growth. Moreover, these samples were used for RNA extraction and phbC gene expression analysis via real-time PCR. The bacteria showed different manner of growth, PHB accumulation and phbC gene expression when different quantity and quality of carbon sources were used. These results showed that under different growth media conditions, the growth and metabolism of different species of bacteria were influenced. These differences reflect the increase or decrease in PHB accumulation.     

Production of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) by Comamonas testosteroni during growth on naphthalene

Comamonas testosteroni has been found to produce poly(-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) during its growth on naphthalene. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) analysis confirmed it as a homopolymer of 3-hydroxybutyrate. Oxygen and essential nutrient limitation other than carbon source play a major role in maximum PHB production. Nitrogen limitation was found to have a profound effect, with 0.2 g ammonium nitrate/l optimum for PHB production. Both aeration and iron were found to be essential for growth and PHB accumulation. Ferric chloride at 0.04 g/l concentration was found to be optimum for PHB accumulation. Phosphate source variation showed no significant effect. Using naphthalene as a sole carbon source in optimized Bushnell Haas medium, 85% of the dry cell mass was extracted as chloroform-soluble PHB.     

An extracellular poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) depolymerase from Penicillium sp. DS9713a-01

Summary Penicillium sp. DS9713a-01 was obtained by ultraviolet (u.v.) light mutagenesis from the Penicillium sp. DS9713a which can degrade poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB). The enzymatic activity of DS9713a-01 was 97% higher than that of the wild-type strain. The DS9713a-01 mutant could completely degrade PHB films in 5 days; however, the wild-type strain achieved only 61% at the same time. The extracellular PHB depolymerase was purified from the culture medium containing PHB as the sole carbon source by filtration, ammonium sulfate precipitation and chromatography on Sepharose CL-6B. The molecular weight of the PHB depolymerase was about 15.1kDa determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. The optimum activity of the PHB depolymerase was observed at pH 8.6 and 50 °C. The enzyme was stable at temperatures below 37 °C and in the pH range from 8.0 to 9.2. The activity of PHB depolymerase could be activated or inhibited by some metal ions. The apparent K _m value was 0.164 mg ml⁻¹. Mass spectrometric analysis of the water-soluble products after enzymatic degradation revealed that the primary product was the monomer, 3-hydroxybutyric acid.     

High level production of supra molecular weight poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) by metabolically engineered<Emphasis Type="Italic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis>

The supra molecular weight poly ([R]-3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB), having a molecular weight greater than 2 million Da, has recently been found to possess improved mechanical properties compared with the normal molecular weight PHB, which has a molecular weight of less than 1 million Da. However, applications for this PHB have been hampered due to the difficulty of its production. Reported here, is the development of a new metabolically engineeredEscherichia coli strain and its fermentation for high level production of supra molecular weight PHB. RecombinantE. coli strains, harboring plasmids of different copy numbers containing theAlcaligenes latus PHB biosynthesis genes, were cultured and the molecular weights of the accumulated PHB were compared. When the recombinantE. coli XL 1-Blue, harboring a medium-copy-number pJC2 containing theA. latus PHB biosynthesis genes, was cultivated by fed-batch culture at pH 6.0, supra molecular weight PHB could be produced at up to 89.8 g/L with a productivity of 2.07 g PHB/L-h. The molecular weight of PHB obtained under these conditions was as high as 22 MDa, exceeding by an order of magnitude the molecular weight of PHB typically produced inRalstonia eutropha or recombinantE. coli     

Overexpression of NAD kinase in recombinant <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">Escherichia coli</Emphasis> harboring the <Emphasis Type="BoldItalic">phbCAB</Emphasis> operon improves poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) production

NAD kinase was overexpressed to enhance the accumulation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) in recombinant Escherichia coli harboring PHB synthesis pathway via an accelerated supply of NADPH, which is one of the most crucial factors influencing PHB production. A high copy number expression plasmid pE76 led to a stronger NAD kinase activity than that brought about by the low copy number plasmid pELRY. Overexpressing NAD kinase in recombinant E. coli was found not to have a negative effect on cell growth in the absence of PHB synthesis. Shake flask experiments demonstrated that excess NAD kinase in E. coli harboring the PHB synthesis operon could increase the accumulation of PHB to 16–35 wt.% compared with the controls; meanwhile, NADP concentration was enhanced threefold to sixfold. Although the two NAD kinase overexpression recombinants exhibited large disparity on NAD kinase activity, their influence on cell growth and PHB accumulation was not proportional. Under the same growth conditions without process optimization, the NAD kinase-overexpressing recombinant produced 14 g/L PHB compared with 7 g/L produced by the control in a 28-h fermentor study. In addition, substrate to PHB yield Y _PHB/glucose showed an increase from 0.08 g PHB/g glucose for the control to 0.15 g PHB/g glucose for the NAD kinase-overexpressing strain, a 76% increase for the Y _PHB/glucose. These results clearly showed that the overexpression of NAD kinase could be used to enhance the PHB synthesis.     

Degradation of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) and its copolymer poly (3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) by a marine Streptomyces sp. SNG9

A marine Streptomyces sp. SNG9 was characterized by its ability to utilize poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and its copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate P (3HB-co-HV). The bacterium grew efficiently in a simple mineral liquid medium enriched with 0.1% poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) powder as the sole carbon source. Cells excreted PHB depolymerase and degraded the polymer particles to complete clarity in 4 days. The degradation activity was detectable by the formation of a clear zone around the colony (petri plates) or a clear depth under the colony (test tubes). The expression of PHB depolymerase was repressed by the presence of simple soluble carbon sources. Bacterial degradation of the naturally occurring sheets of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and its copolymer poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) was observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Morphological alterations of the polymers sheets were evidence for bacterial hydrolysis.     

Production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) by solid-state fermentation with <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ralstonia eutropha</Emphasis>

The use of solid-state fermentation is examined as a low-cost technology for the production of poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) by Ralstonia eutropha. Two agroindustrial residues (babassu and soy cake) were evaluated as culture media. The maximum poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) yield was 1.2 mg g^–1 medium on soy cake in 36 h, and 0.7 mg g^–1 medium on babassu cake in 84 h. Addition of 2.5% (w/w) sugar cane molasses to soy cake increased PHB production to 4.9 mg g^–1 medium in 60 h. Under these conditions, the PHB content of the dry biomass was 39% (w/w). The present results indicate that solid-state fermentation could be a promising alternative for producing biodegradable polymers at low cost.Revisions requested 31 August 2004; Revisions received 12 October 2004     

Site-directed saturation mutagenesis at residue F420 and recombination with another beneficial mutation of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Ralstonia eutropha</Emphasis> polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase

The F420S substitution enhances the specific activity of Ralstonia eutropha PHA synthase (PhaC_Re). We have now carried out site-directed saturation mutagenesis of F420 of PhaC_Re and, amongst the F420 mutants, the F420S mutant gave the highest poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) content. In vitro activity assay showed that the F420S enzyme had a significant decrease in its lag phase compared to that of the wild-type enzyme. Enhancement of PHB accumulation was achieved by combination of the F420S mutation with a G4D mutation, which conferred high PHB content and high in vivo concentration of PhaC_Re enzyme. The G4D/F420S mutant gave a higher PHB content and in vivo concentration of PhaC_Re enzyme than the F420S mutant, while the molecular weight of the PHB polymer of the double mutant was similar to that of the F420S mutant.