Materials designed to degrade: structure, properties, processing, and performance relationships in polyhydroxyalkanoate biopolymers

Conventional plastics pose significant environmental and health risks across their life cycle, driving intense interest in sustainable alternatives. Among these, polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) stand out for their biocompatibility, degradation characteristics, and diverse applications. Yet, challenges like production cost, scalability, and limited chemical variety hinder their widespread adoption, impacting material selection and design. This review examines PHA research through the lens of the classical materials tetrahedron, exploring property-structure-processing-performance (PSPP) relationships. By analyzing recent literature and addressing current limitations, we gain valuable insights into PHA development. Despite challenges, we remain optimistic about the role of PHAs in transitioning towards a circular plastic economy, emphasizing the need for further research to unlock their full potential.

Cupriavidus necator as a platform for polyhydroxyalkanoate production: An overview of strains, metabolism, and modeling approaches

Cupriavidus necator is a bacterium with a high phenotypic diversity and versatile metabolic capabilities. It has been extensively studied as a model hydrogen oxidizer, as well as a producer of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), plastic-like biopolymers with a high potential to substitute petroleum-based materials. Thanks to its adaptability to diverse metabolic lifestyles and to the ability to accumulate large amounts of PHA, C. necator is employed in many biotechnological processes, with particular focus on PHA production from waste carbon sources. The large availability of genomic information has enabled a characterization of C. necator's metabolism, leading to the establishment of metabolic models which are used to devise and optimize culture conditions and genetic engineering approaches. In this work, the characteristics of available C. necator strains and genomes are reviewed, underlining how a thorough comprehension of the genetic variability of C. necator is lacking and it could be instrumental for wider application of this microorganism. The metabolic paradigms of C. necator and how they are connected to PHA production and accumulation are described, also recapitulating the variety of carbon substrates used for PHA accumulation, highlighting the most promising strategies to increase the yield. Finally, the review describes and critically analyzes currently available genome-scale metabolic models and reduced metabolic network applications commonly employed in the optimization of PHA production. Overall, it appears that the capacity of C. necator of performing CO2 bioconversion to PHA is still underexplored, both in biotechnological applications and in metabolic modeling. However, the accurate characterization of this organism and the efforts in using it for gas fermentation can help tackle this challenging perspective in the future.

Optimization of a Two-Species Microbial Consortium for Improved Mcl-PHA Production From Glucose-Xylose Mixtures

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have attracted much attention as a good substitute for petroleum-based plastics, especially mcl-PHA due to their superior physical and mechanical properties with broader applications. Artificial microbial consortia can solve the problems of low metabolic capacity of single engineered strains and low conversion efficiency of natural consortia while expanding the scope of substrate utilization. Therefore, the use of artificial microbial consortia is considered a promising method for the production of mcl-PHA. In this work, we designed and constructed a microbial consortium composed of engineered Escherichia coli MG1655 and Pseudomonas putida KT2440 based on the "nutrition supply-detoxification" concept, which improved mcl-PHA production from glucose-xylose mixtures. An engineered E. coli that preferentially uses xylose was engineered with an enhanced ability to secrete acetic acid and free fatty acids (FFAs), producing 6.44 g/L acetic acid and 2.51 g/L FFAs with 20 g/L xylose as substrate. The mcl-PHA producing strain of P. putida in the microbial consortium has been engineered to enhance its ability to convert acetic acid and FFAs into mcl-PHA, producing 0.75 g/L mcl-PHA with mixed substrates consisting of glucose, acetic acid, and octanoate, while also reducing the growth inhibition of E. coli by acetic acid. The further developed artificial microbial consortium finally produced 1.32 g/L of mcl-PHA from 20 g/L of a glucose-xylose mixture (1:1) after substrate competition control and process optimization. The substrate utilization and product synthesis functions were successfully divided into the two strains in the constructed artificial microbial consortium, and a mutually beneficial symbiosis of "nutrition supply-detoxification" with a relatively high mcl-PHA titer was achieved, enabling the efficient accumulation of mcl-PHA. The consortium developed in this study is a potential platform for mcl-PHA production from lignocellulosic biomass.

Screening and characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoate granules, and phylogenetic analysis of polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase gene PhaC in cyanobacteria

Using Nile Red and BODIPY 493/503 dye-staining and fluorescence microscopy, twenty cyanobacterial strains, including ten commercially available strains and ten environmental isolates from estuaries, freshwater ponds, and lagoons, were screened for the accumulation of ecologically important and potentially biotechnologically significant carbon storage granules such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA). Dye-staining granules were observed in six strains. Three Synechocystis, spp. strains WHSYN, LSNM, and CGF-1, and a Phormidium-like sp. CGFILA were isolated from environmental sources and found to produce granules of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) according to PHA synthase gene (phaC) PCR screening and ¹ H NMR analyses. The environmental isolate, Nodularia sp. Las Olas and commercially available Phormidium cf. iriguum CCALA 759 displayed granules but screened negative for PHA according to phaC PCR and ¹ H NMR analyses. Partial polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase subunit C (phaC) and 16S rRNA gene sequences obtained from the PHA-accumulating strains and analyzed alongside publicly available phaC, phaE, 16S rRNA, and 23S rRNA data help in understanding the distribution and evolutionary history of PHA biosynthesis within the phylum Cyanobacteria. The data show that the presence of phaC is highly conserved within the genus Synechocystis, and present in at least one isolate of Phormidium. Maximum likelihood analyses and cophylogenetic modeling of PHA synthase gene sequences provide evidence of a recent horizontal gene transfer event between distant genera of cyanobacteria related to Pleurocapsa sp. PCC 7327 and Phormidium-like sp. CGFILA. These findings will help guide additional screening for PHA producers, and may explain why some Phormidium species produce PHAs, while others do not.

Lactic acid containing polymers produced in engineered Sinorhizobium meliloti and Pseudomonas putida

This study demonstrates that novel polymer production can be achieved by introducing pTAM, a broad-host-range plasmid expressing codon-optimized genes encoding Clostridium propionicum propionate CoA transferase (Pct_Cp, Pct532) and a modified Pseudomonas sp. MBEL 6–19 polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase 1 (PhaC1_Ps6-19, PhaC1400), into phaC mutant strains of the native polymer producers Sinorhizobium meliloti and Pseudomonas putida. Both phenotypic analysis and gas chromatography analysis indicated the synthesis and accumulation of biopolymers in S. meliloti and P. putida strains. Expression in S. meliloti resulted in the production of PLA homopolymer up to 3.2% dried cell weight (DCW). The quaterpolymer P (3HB-co-LA-co-3HHx-co-3HO) was produced by expression in P. putida. The P. putida phaC mutant strain produced this type of polymer the most efficiently with polymer content of 42% DCW when cultured in defined media with the addition of sodium octanoate. This is the first report, to our knowledge, of the production of a range of different biopolymers using the same plasmid-based system in different backgrounds. In addition, it is the first time that the novel polymer (P(3HB-co-LA-co-3HHx-co-3HO)), has been reported being produced in bacteria.

Engineering biosynthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) for diversity and cost reduction

PHA, a family of natural biopolymers aiming to replace non-degradable plastics for short-term usages, has been developed to include various structures such as short-chain-length (scl) and medium-chain-length (mcl) monomers as well as their copolymers. However, PHA market has been grown slowly since 1980s due to limited variety with good mechanical properties and the high production cost. Here, we review most updated strategies or approaches including metabolic engineering, synthetic biology and morphology engineering on expanding PHA diversity, reducing production cost and enhancing PHA production. The extremophilic Halomonas spp. are taken as examples to show the feasibility and challenges to develop next generation industrial biotechnology (NGIB) for producing PHA more competitively.

Community proteomics provides functional insight into polyhydroxyalkanoate production by a mixed microbial culture cultivated on fermented dairy manure

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bio-based, biodegradable polyesters that can be produced from organic-rich waste streams using mixed microbial cultures (MMCs). To maximize PHA production, MMCs are enriched for bacteria with a high polymer storage capacity through the application of aerobic dynamic feeding (ADF) in a sequencing batch reactor (SBR), which consequently induces a feast-famine metabolic response. Though the feast-famine response is generally understood empirically at a macro-level, the molecular level is less refined. The objective of this study was to investigate the microbial community composition and proteome profile of an enriched MMC cultivated on fermented dairy manure. The enriched MMC exhibited a feast-famine response and was capable of producing up to 40 % (wt. basis) PHA in a fed-batch reactor. High-throughput 16S rRNA gene sequencing revealed a microbial community dominated by Meganema, a known PHA-producing genus not often observed in high abundance in enrichment SBRs. The application of the proteomic methods two-dimensional electrophoresis and LC-MS/MS revealed PHA synthesis, energy generation, and protein synthesis prominently occurring during the feast phase, corroborating bulk solution variable observations and theoretical expectations. During the famine phase, nutrient transport, acyl-CoA metabolism, additional energy generation, and housekeeping functions were more pronounced, informing previously under-determined MMC functionality under famine conditions. During fed-batch PHA production, acetyl-CoA acetyltransferase and PHA granule-bound phasin proteins were in increased abundance relative to the SBR, supporting the higher PHA content observed. Collectively, the results provide unique microbial community structural and functional insight into feast-famine PHA production from waste feedstocks using MMCs.

In vivo and in vitro observations of polyhydroxybutyrate granules formed by Dinoroseobacter sp. JL 1447

Polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) granules formed by a marine aerobic anoxygenic phototrophic bacterial strain Dinoroseobacter sp. JL 1447 were detected using transmission electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. When Dinoroseobacter sp. JL 1447 was inoculated into a medium with glucose as the sole carbon source, the formation of PHB granules occurred and accumulated with incubation time, reaching their maximum in the stationary phase cultures. PHB granules, formed in the cytoplasm at the cell poles or future cell poles, were remobilized and used by the cells in late stationary complex cultures. When PHB granules formed, cell length elongated from 0.5 to 1.5 μm and spherical protrusions appeared on the cell surface. The French press method was used to break the cells and isolate the PHB granules. The freshly prepared and intact PHB granules were spherical with a soft, smooth outer envelope without visible substructures. Upon treating PHB granules with sodium dodecyl sulfate, the envelope was destroyed and nearly parted from the granules, and uniform, spherical structures with a central pore appeared on the granule surface.

Polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis on biodiesel wastewater using mixed microbial consortia

Crude glycerol (CG), a by-product of biodiesel production, is an organic carbon-rich substrate with potential as feedstock for polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) production. PHA is a biodegradable thermoplastic synthesized by microorganisms as an intracellular granule. In this study we investigated PHA production on CG using mixed microbial consortia (MMC) and determined that the enriched MMC produced exclusively polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) utilizing the methanol fraction. PHB synthesis appeared to be stimulated by a macronutrient deficiency. Intracellular concentrations remained relatively constant over an operational cycle, with microbial growth occurring concurrent with polymer synthesis. PHB average molecular weights ranged from 200-380 kDa, while thermal properties compared well with commercial PHB. The resulting PHB material properties and characteristics would be suitable for many commercial uses. Considering full-scale process application, it was estimated that a 38 million L (10 million gallon) per year biodiesel operation could potentially produce up to 19 metric ton (20.9t on) of PHB per year.

Comparison of four phaC genes from Haloferax mediterranei and their function in different PHBV copolymer biosyntheses in Haloarcula hispanica

BACKGROUND

The halophilic archaeon Haloferax mediterranei is able to accumulate large amounts of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) with high molar fraction of 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) from unrelated carbon sources. A Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase composed of two subunits, PhaCHme and PhaEHme, has been identified in this strain, and shown to account for the PHBV biosynthesis.

RESULTS

With the aid of the genome sequence of Hfx. mediterranei CGMCC 1.2087, three additional phaC genes (designated phaC1, phaC2, and phaC3) were identified, which encoded putative PhaCs. Like PhaCHme (54.8 kDa), PhaC1 (49.7 kDa) and PhaC3 (62.5 kDa) possessed the conserved motifs of type III PHA synthase, which was not observed in PhaC2 (40.4 kDa). Furthermore, the longer C terminus found in the other three PhaCs was also absent in PhaC2. Reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) revealed that, among the four genes, only phaCHme was transcribed under PHA-accumulating conditions in the wild-type strain. However, heterologous coexpression of phaEHme with each phaC gene in Haloarcula hispanica PHB-1 showed that all PhaCs, except PhaC2, could lead to PHBV accumulation with various 3HV fractions. The three kinds of copolymers were characterized using gel-permeation chromatography (GPC), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Their thermal properties changed with the variations in monomer composition as well as the different molecular weights (Mw), thus might meet various application requirements.

CONCLUSION

We discover three cryptic phaC genes in Hfx. mediterranei, and demonstrate that genetic engineering of these newly identified phaC genes has biotechnological potential for PHBV production with tailor-made material properties.

Estudo das propriedades mecânicas e térmicas do polímero Poli-3-hidroxibutirato (PHB) e de compósitos PHB/pó de madeira

O PHB (Poli-3-hidroxibutirato) é um termoplástico biodegradável sintetizado por fermentação submersa a partir de matérias-primas renováveis. A utilização de fibras naturais tem sido pesquisada visando melhorar as propriedades e reduzir o custo do PHB. O objetivo deste trabalho foi o estudo das propriedades mecânicas (resistência à tração), térmicas (Análise termogravimétrica,TGA, e Calorimetria Exploratória Diferencial, DSC) e reológicas (torque em câmera de mistura e Índice de Fluidez) do PHB e de compósitos de PHB/pó de madeira processados e irradiados. Foram preparados compósitos com concentrações de PHB/pó de madeira de 90/10, 80/20 e 70/30 (m/m). Os materiais foram processados através das seguintes etapas de processamento: calandragem, fragmentação, extrusão, granulação, secagem e moldagem por injeção para confecção dos corpos de prova. A incorporação do pó de madeira aumentou o grau de cristalinidade e a temperatura de cristalização do polímero, e nos compósitos PHB/pó de madeira 80/20 e 70/30 a rigidez do material aumentou. A irradiação após o processamento (dose de 30 kGy) provocou aumento da rigidez do PHB puro e dos compósitos PHB/pó de madeira 90/10 e 80/20, embora outras propriedades tenham decrescido. O compósito PHB/pó de madeira 70/30 apresentou os melhores resultados em termos econômicos e de processamento.

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) co-polymer production from a local isolate, Brevibacillus invocatus MTCC 9039

Accumulation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-3HV)] co-polymer by a local isolate, Brevibacillus invocatus MTCC 9039 under batch mode was investigated under glucose, acetate and propionate-supplemented conditions. Cells harvested at the stationary phase of growth depicted maximum accumulation of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB), i.e. 3% of dry cell weight (dcw) at pH 7.0 and temperature 30 degrees C at 48h of incubation. PHB accumulation reached up to 52% (dcw) under 3% glucose with 1% acetate supplementation. P(3HB-co-3HV) co-polymer synthesis was observed under propionate-supplemented condition, which reached up to 45% under 3% glucose with 1% propionate supplementation. Optimization of process parameters by response surface methodology (RSM) resulted into co-polymer accumulation up to 65% (dcw) at 2.08% glucose, 1.62% acetate, 0.75% propionate and 2.15 g l(-1) KH(2)PO(4) concentrations. This co-polymer exhibited comparable material properties with the commercial [P(3HB-co-3HV)] co-polymers, whereas the elasticity was tremendously high and could be comparable with polypropylene. Thus, B. invocatus MTCC 9039 is emerging as an interesting organism and could be exploited further for P(3HB-co-3HV) co-polymer production.

Utilization of molasses spentwash for production of bioplastics by waste activated sludge

Present study describes the treatment of molasses spentwash and its use as a potential low cost substrate for production of biopolymer polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) by waste activated sludge. Fluorescence microscopy revealed the presence of PHB granules in sludge biomass which was further confirmed by fourier transform-infra-red spectroscopy (FT-IR) and (13)C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The processing of molasses spentwash was carried out for attaining different ratios of carbon and nitrogen (C:N). Highest chemical oxygen demand (COD) removal and PHB accumulation of 60% and 31% respectively was achieved with raw molasses spentwash containing inorganic nitrogen (C:N ratio=28) followed by COD removal of 52% and PHB accumulation of 28% for filtered molasses containing inorganic nitrogen (C:N ratio=29). PHB production yield (Y(p/s)) was highest (0.184 g g(-1) COD consumed) for deproteinized spentwash supplemented with nitrogen. In contrast, the substrate consumption and product formation were higher in case of raw spentwash. Though COD removal was lowest from deproteinized spentwash, evaluation of kinetic parameters suggested higher rates of conversion of available carbon to biomass and PHB. Thus the process provided dual benefit of conversion of two wastes viz. waste activated sludge and molasses spentwash into value-added product-PHB.

Biotechnological approaches for the production of polyhydroxyalkanoates in microorganisms and plants - a review

The increasing effect of non-degradable plastic wastes is a growing concern. Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), macromolecule-polyesters naturally produced by many species of microorganisms, are being considered as a replacement for conventional plastics. Unlike petroleum-derived plastics that take several decades to degrade, PHAs can be completely bio-degraded within a year by a variety of microorganisms. This biodegradation results in carbon dioxide and water, which return to the environment. Attempts based on various methods have been undertaken for mass production of PHAs. Promising strategies involve genetic engineering of microorganisms and plants to introduce production pathways. This challenge requires the expression of several genes along with optimization of PHA synthesis in the host. Although excellent progress has been made in recombinant hosts, the barriers to obtaining high quantities of PHA at low cost still remain to be solved. The commercially viable production of PHA in crops, however, appears to be a realistic goal for the future.

Sequential feeding of glucose and valerate in a fed-batch culture of Ralstonia eutropha for production of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) with high 3-hydroxyvalerate fraction

Several important properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyric-co-3-hydroxyvaleric acids) (P(3HB-co-3HV) depend mainly on the HV unit fraction of the copolymer. Sequential and simultaneous feeding of glucose and valerate were employed to produce P(3HB-co-3HV) in a fed-batch culture of Ralstonia eutropha, and the effects of feeding models on the cell growth, 3HV unit fraction, and copolymer productivity have been investigated. The sequential feeding of glucose and then valerate resulted in a cell density of 110.2 g/L, 3HV unit fraction of 62.7 mol %, and copolymer productivity of 0.56 g/(L.h), while the latter simultaneous feeding strategy never achieved the 3HV fraction of P(3HB-co-3HV) higher than 50%. A nuclear magnetic resonance study confirmed that the production of random copolymer P(3HB-co-3HV) with high 3HV unit fraction was possible even with sequential feeding of glucose and valerate.

Modification of the monomer composition of polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesized in Saccharomyces cerevisiae expressing variants of the beta-oxidation-associated multifunctional enzyme

Expression by Saccharomyces cerevisiae of a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase modified at the carboxy end by the addition of a peroxisome targeting signal derived from the last 34 amino acids of the Brassica napus isocitrate lyase (ICL) and containing the terminal tripeptide Ser-Arg-Met resulted in the synthesis of PHA. The ability of the terminal peptide Ser-Arg-Met and of the 34-amino-acid peptide from the B. napus ICL to target foreign proteins to the peroxisome of S. cerevisiae was demonstrated with green fluorescent protein fusions. PHA synthesis was found to be dependent on the presence of both the enzymes generating the beta-oxidation intermediate 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A (3-hydroxyacyl-[CoA]) and the peroxin-encoding PEX5 gene, demonstrating the requirement for a functional peroxisome and a beta-oxidation cycle for PHA synthesis. Using a variant of the S. cerevisiae beta-oxidation multifunctional enzyme with a mutation inactivating the B domain of the R-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, it was possible to modify the PHA monomer composition through an increase in the proportion of the short-chain monomers of five and six carbons.

Synthesis of novel biomaterials in plants

Metabolic engineering of plants allows the possibility of using crops for the synthesis of novel polymers having useful material properties. Strong and flexible protein-based polymers, which are based on the structure of silk and elastin have been synthesized in transgenic plants. A wide range of polyhydroxyalkanoates having properties ranging from stiff plastics to soft elastomers and glues have been synthesized in various compartments of plants, such as the cytoplasm, plastid and peroxisome. These plant biomaterials could replace, in part, the synthetic plastics, fibers and elastomers produced from petroleum, thus offering the advantage of renewability, sustainability and biodegradability.

On the relationship between crystalline structure and amorphous phase dynamics during isothermal crystallization of bacterial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymers

The isothermal crystallization process of a poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) copolymer, P(HB-co-HV) with a HB/HV ratio 78/22 was investigated by simultaneous small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS), and dielectric spectroscopy (DS). By use of this experimental setup (SWD), we have obtained simultaneous information about changes occurring in both the crystalline and the amorphous phases during crystallization. By using the Havriliak-Negami formalism to analyze the dielectric relaxation data, a strong dependence of the relaxation curve shape with the development of the crystalline phase was found. However, in this particular copolymer, the developing crystalline domains do not affect significantly the average segmental mobility in the amorphous phase. This effect is discussed in the light of the enrichment of amorphous phase by HV comonomer units during primary crystallization, hindering the secondary crystallization processes. Results support the hypothesis that the decrease of the physical-aging-like behavior, observed in P(HB-co-HV) copolymers as the amount of HV increases, can be attributed to the progressive inhibition of secondary crystallization mechanisms.

Polyhydroxyalknoate synthesis in plants as a tool for biotechnology and basic studies of lipid metabolism

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters of hydroxyacids naturally synthesized in bacteria as a carbon reserve. PHAs have properties of biodegradable thermoplastics and elastomers and their synthesis in crop plants is seen as an attractive system for the sustained production of large amounts of polymers at low cost. A variety of PHAs having different physical properties have now been synthesized in a number of transgenic plants, including Arabidopsis thaliana, rape and corn. This has been accomplished through the creation of novel metabolic pathways either in the cytoplasm, plastid or peroxisome of plant cells. Beyond its impact in biotechnology, PHA production in plants can also be used to study some fundamental aspects of plant metabolism. Synthesis of PHA can be used both as an indicator and a modulator of the carbon flux to pathways competing for common substrates, such as acetyl-coenzyme A in fatty acid biosynthesis or 3-hydroxyacyl-coenzyme A in fatty acid degradation. Synthesis of PHAs in plant peroxisome has been used to demonstrate changes in the flux of fatty acids to the beta-oxidation cycle in transgenic plants and mutants affected in lipid biosynthesis, as well as to study the pathway of degradation of unusual fatty acids.

Synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate in the peroxisome of Pichia pastoris

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters naturally produced by bacteria that have properties of biodegradable plastics and elastomers. A PHA synthase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa modified at the carboxy-end for peroxisomal targeting was transformed in Pichia pastoris. The PHA synthase was expressed under the control of the promoter of the P. pastoris acyl-CoA oxidase gene. Synthesis of up to 1% medium-chain-length PHA per g dry weight was dependent on both the expression of the PHA synthase and the presence of oleic acid in the medium. PHA accumulated as inclusions within the peroxisomes. P. pastoris could be used as a model system to study how peroxisomal metabolism needs to be modified to increase PHA production in other eukaryotes, such as plants.

Synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate in the peroxisome of Saccharomyces cerevisiae by using intermediates of fatty acid beta-oxidation

Medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polyesters having properties of biodegradable thermoplastics and elastomers that are naturally produced by a variety of pseudomonads. Saccharomyces cerevisiae was transformed with the Pseudomonas aeruginosa PHAC1 synthase modified for peroxisome targeting by the addition of the carboxyl 34 amino acids from the Brassica napus isocitrate lyase. The PHAC1 gene was put under the control of the promoter of the catalase A gene. PHA synthase expression and PHA accumulation were found in recombinant S. cerevisiae growing in media containing fatty acids. PHA containing even-chain monomers from 6 to 14 carbons was found in recombinant yeast grown on oleic acid, while odd-chain monomers from 5 to 15 carbons were found in PHA from yeast grown on heptadecenoic acid. The maximum amount of PHA accumulated was 0.45% of the dry weight. Transmission electron microscopy of recombinant yeast grown on oleic acid revealed the presence of numerous PHA inclusions found within membrane-bound organelles. Together, these data show that S. cerevisiae expressing a peroxisomal PHA synthase produces PHA in the peroxisome using the 3-hydroxyacyl coenzyme A intermediates of the beta-oxidation of fatty acids present in the media. S. cerevisiae can thus be used as a powerful model system to learn how fatty acid metabolism can be modified in order to synthesize high amounts of PHA in eukaryotes, including plants.

Production of polyesters in transgenic plants

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are bacterial polyesters having the properties of biodegradable thermoplastics and elastomers. Synthesis of PHAs has been demonstrated in transgenic plants. Both polyhydroxybutyrate and the co-polymer poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) have been synthesized in the plastids of Arabidopsis thaliana and Brassica napus. Furthermore, a range of medium-chain-length PHAs has also been produced in plant peroxisomes. Development of agricultural crops to produce PHA on a large scale and at low cost will be a challenging task requiring a coordinated and stable expression of several genes. Novel extraction methods designed to maximize the use of harvested plants for PHA, oil, carbohydrate, and feed production will be needed. In addition to their use as plastics, PHAs can also be used to modify fiber properties in plants such as cotton. Furthermore, PHA can be exploited as a novel tool to study the carbon flux through various metabolic pathways, such as the fatty acid beta-oxidation cycle.

Properties, modifications and applications of biopolyesters

Poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs), of which poly(hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) is the most common, can be accumulated by a large number of bacteria as energy and carbon reserve. Due to their biodegradability and biocompatibility these optically active biopolyesters may find industrial applications. A general overview of the physical and material properties of PHAs, alongside with accomplished applications and new developments in this field is presented in this chapter. The properties of PHAs are dependent on their monomer composition and therefore it is of great interest that recent research has revealed that, in addition to PHB, a large variety of PHAs can be synthesized microbially. The monomer composition of PHAs depends on the nature of the carbon source and microorganism used. PHB is a typical highly crystalline thermoplastic whereas medium chain length PHAs are elastomers with low melting points and a relatively lower degree of crystallinity. By (chemical) modification of the PHAs, the ultimate properties of the materials can be adjusted even further, when necessary. Applications that have been developed from PHB and related materials (e.g. Biopol) can be found in very different application areas and cover packaging, hygienic, agricultural and biomedical products. Recent application developments based on medium chain length PHAs range from high solid alkyd-like paints to pressure sensitive adhesives, biodegradable cheese coatings and biodegradable rubbers. Technically, the prospects for PHAs are very promising. When the price of these materials can be further reduced, application of biopolyesters will also become economically very attractive.

Biosynthesis of PHB tercopolymer by Bacillus cereus UW85

AIMS

The study was attempted to determine the ability of a Gram-positive Bacillus cereus UW85 strain to biosynthesize poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) copolymers when epsilon-caprolactone, or epsilon-caprolactone and glucose, were used as carbon sources.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Bacillus cereus was grown for 24 h under nitrogen-limited conditions in a mineral salts medium. Growth was monitored by measurement of turbidity. Glucose level was determined by the colorimetric anthrone

METHOD

The epsilon-caprolactone concentration was determined by gas chromatography. The bacterial biopolymers were extracted with chloroform in a Soxhlet extractor and then characterized by nuclear magnetic resonance and gel permeation chromatography. When epsilon-caprolactone was used as a carbon substrate, the bacterial strain produced tercopolymer with 3-hydroxybutyrate, 3-hydroxyvalerate and 6-hydroxyhexanoate units. However, when caprolactone and glucose were supplied together, only homopolymer of poly (3-hydroxybutyrate) was produced.

CONCLUSION

All tercopolymers isolated from B. cereus UW85 cells were obtained with yields up to 9% (w/w) and low number-average molecular weight compared with the homopolymer PHB.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

Bacillus cereus UW85 produced tercopolymer with a low molecular weight from one substrate (epsilon-caprolactone) used as a carbon source. The results are significant for the potential future application of Bacillus biopolymers to bioplastics production.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesis in transgenic plants as a new tool to study carbon flow through beta-oxidation

Transgenic plants producing peroxisomal polyhydroxy- alkanoate (PHA) from intermediates of fatty acid degradation were used to study carbon flow through the beta-oxidation cycle. Growth of transgenic plants in media containing fatty acids conjugated to Tween detergents resulted in an increased accumulation of PHA and incorporation into the polyester of monomers derived from the beta-oxidation of these fatty acids. Tween-laurate was a stronger inducer of beta-oxidation, as measured by acyl-CoA oxidase activity, and a more potent modulator of PHA quantity and monomer composition than Tween-oleate. Plants co-expressing a peroxisomal PHA synthase with a capryl-acyl carrier protein thioesterase from Cuphea lanceolata produced eightfold more PHA compared to plants expressing only the PHA synthase. PHA produced in double transgenic plants contained mainly saturated monomers ranging from 6 to 10 carbons, indicating an enhanced flow of capric acid towards beta-oxidation. Together, these results support the hypothesis that plant cells have mechanisms which sense levels of free or esterified unusual fatty acids, resulting in changes in the activity of the beta-oxidation cycle as well as removal and degradation of these unusual fatty acids through beta-oxidation. Such enhanced flow of fatty acids through beta-oxidation can be utilized to modulate the amount and composition of PHA produced in transgenic plants. Furthermore, synthesis of PHAs in plants can be used as a new tool to study the quality and relative quantity of the carbon flow through beta-oxidation as well as to analyse the degradation pathway of unusual fatty acids.

Development of environmentally friendly coatings and paints using medium-chain-length poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) as the polymer binder

Unsaturated medium-chain-length poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) (mcl-PHAs) produced by Pseudomonas putida from linseed oil fatty acids (LOFA) and tall oil fatty acids (TOFA), were used as the polymer binder in the formulation of high solid alkyd-like paints. The relatively high concentration of unsaturated alkyl side chains incorporated into the PHA resins resulted in oxidative drying PHA paints having excellent coating properties. The homogeneously pigmented PHA coatings yielded high-gloss, smooth and strong films upon curing and showed an excellent flexibility, a good adhesion to different substrates, cohesive film properties and resistance to chipping.

Synthesis of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates in arabidopsis thaliana using intermediates of peroxisomal fatty acid beta-oxidation

Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is a family of polymers composed primarily of R-3-hydroxyalkanoic acids. These polymers have properties of biodegradable thermoplastics and elastomers. Medium-chain-length PHAs (MCL-PHAs) are synthesized in bacteria by using intermediates of the beta-oxidation of alkanoic acids. To assess the feasibility of producing MCL-PHAs in plants, Arabidopsis thaliana was transformed with the PhaC1 synthase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa modified for peroxisome targeting by addition of the carboxyl 34 amino acids from the Brassica napus isocitrate lyase. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that the modified PHA synthase was appropriately targeted to leaf-type peroxisomes in light-grown plants and glyoxysomes in dark-grown plants. Plants expressing the PHA synthase accumulated electron-lucent inclusions in the glyoxysomes and leaf-type peroxisomes, as well as in the vacuole. These inclusions were similar to bacterial PHA inclusions. Analysis of plant extracts by GC and mass spectrometry demonstrated the presence of MCL-PHA in transgenic plants to approximately 4 mg per g of dry weight. The plant PHA contained saturated and unsaturated 3-hydroxyalkanoic acids ranging from six to 16 carbons with 41% of the monomers being 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid and 3-hydroxyoctenoic acid. These results indicate that the beta-oxidation of plant fatty acids can generate a broad range of R-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA intermediates that can be used to synthesize MCL-PHAs.

Polymerase C1 levels and poly(R-3-hydroxyalkanoate) synthesis in wild-type and recombinant Pseudomonas strains

A functional antibody highly specific for polymerase C1 of Pseudomonas oleovorans GPo1 was raised and used to determine polymerase C1 levels in in vivo experiments. The polymerase C1 antibodies did not show a cross-reaction with polymerase C2 of P. oleovorans. In wild-type P. oleovorans GPo1 and Pseudomonas putida KT2442, amounts of 0.075 and 0.06% polymerase relative to total protein, respectively, were found. P. oleovorans GPo1(pGEc405), which contained additional copies of the polymerase C1-encoding gene under the control of its native promoter, contained 0.5% polymerase C1 relative to total protein. Polymerase C1 reached 10% of total cell protein when the polymerase C1-encoding gene was overexpressed through the P(alk) promoter in P. oleovorans GPo1(pET702, pGEc74). Amounts of poly(R-3-hydroxyalkanoate) (PHA) increased significantly under non-nitrogen-limiting conditions when additional polymerase C1 was expressed in P. oleovorans. Whereas P. oleovorans produced 34% (wt/wt) PHA under these conditions, a PHA level of 64% (wt/wt) could be reached for P. oleovorans GPo1(pGEc405) and a PHA level of 52% (wt/wt) could be reached for P. oleovorans GPo1(pET702, pGEc74) after induction, compared to a PHA level of 13% for the uninduced control. All recombinant Pseudomonas strains containing additional polymerase C1 showed small changes in their PHA composition. Larger amounts of 3-hydroxyhexanoate monomer and smaller amounts of 3-hydroxyoctanoate and -decanoate were found compared to those of the wild type. Two different methods were developed to quantify rates of incorporation of new monomers into preexisting PHA granules. P. oleovorans GPo1 cells grown under nitrogen-limiting conditions showed growth stage-dependent incorporation rates. The highest PHA synthesis rates of 9.5 nmol of C8/C6 monomers/mg of cell dry weight (CDW)/min were found during the mid-stationary phase, which equals a rate of production of 80 g of PHA/kg of CDW/h.