• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.5 no.5
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• pp.292-296
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• 1995

Production of poly($\beta$-hydroxybutyrate-co-$\beta$-hydroxyvalerate)[poly(HB-co-HV) from glucose and propionic acid was studied in a two-stage fed-batch fermentation using Alcaligenes eutrophus NCIMB 11599. When either glucose became sufficient or the feeding rate of propionic acid decreased, production of poly(HB-co-HV) increased but concomitantly resulted in a reduced fraction of HV. During the copolymer accumulation stage, the specific production rate of hydroxyvalerate (HV) increased up to 0.013 (g-HV/g-RCM/h) but it decreased as propionic acid was accumulated. Control of the propionic acid concentration in the medium, therefore, is considered to be one of the most important operating parameters for production of poly(HB-co-HV) with a higher HV fraction. A high titre of poly(HB-co-HV) (85.6 g/I) with HV fraction of 11.4 mol$%$ could be obtained in 50 h by controlling the propionic acid concentration at 1 to 4 g/I.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.219-224
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• 1998

The cyclic metabolism of poly(3-hydroxyhutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) synthesized from glucose by Alcaligenes sp. SH-69 in the presence or absence of new carbon substrate was investigated. In batch culture, the content and weight average molecular weight of the copolymer already stored in the cell decreased rapidly when there was no other carbon source available. After the depletion of carbon source, the amount of high molecular weight copolymer decreased more rapidly than that of low molecular weight copolymer, and as a result, average molecular weight distribution shifted to the lower value. The addition of a mixture of glucose and levulinic acid when the initial carbon substrate, glucose, was nearly depleted supported the continual increase in cell mass and the accumulation of poly(3HB-co-3HV) with high molar fraction of 3HV. However, solvent fractionation of the polymer with acetone revealed the degradation of pre-existing polyhydroxyalkanoale (PHA) in parallel with the synthesis of PHA from new carbon substrate. Even though PHAs obtained from each substrate alone were the copolymer of 3HB and 3HV, it was found that the polymer accumulated in the cells grown by sequential feeding was mainly physical mixture of two poly(3HB-co-3HV) copolymers containing different molar fractions of 3HV.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.155-160
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• 2000

Pseudomnas sp. HJ-2 is capable of producing a rubber-elastic polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) consisting of 3- hydroxybutyrate (3HB), 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV), and 3-hydroxyheptanoate (3HHp) from heptanoic acid as the sole carbon source. The polyester produced was a blend of poly(3HB-co-3HV) and poly(3HHp). Although the mixing of poly(3HHp) fraction to poly(3HB-co-3HV) resulted in a decrease of modulus, the sole fraction of poly(3HB-co-3HV) with a high molar fraction of 3HV was shown to be an elastomer with the maximum percent strain of 740%. The biomass yield and the PHA synthesis were relatively high when the initial heptanoic acid concentration was 40 mM, and were significantly decreased when the substrate concentration exceeded 50 mM. The accumulation of PHA was stimulated by deficiency of nitrogen and phosphorus in the medium. The PHA contents and its monomeric compositions were greatly affected by pH and oxygen transfer rate. At pH 7.5, poly(3HB-~0.38% 3HV) was produced from heptanoic acid and a mixture of 95% 3HHp and 5% 3HV was produced at pH 8.0. Increased conten1 of 3HHp in the polyesters with lhe increasing oxygen transfer rate by agitation speed a1 a fixed aeration rate was observed.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.42 no.4
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• pp.346-352
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• 2004

Poly(3-Hydroxybutyrate-co­3-Hydroxyvalerate), poly(3HB-co-3HV), copolyesters with a variety of 3HV contents (ranging from 17 to $60\;mol\%$) were produced by Alcaligenes sp. MT-16 grown on a medium containing glucose and levulinic acid in various ratios, and the effects of hydrophilicity and crystallinity on the degradability of the copolyesters were evaluated. Measurements of thermo-mechanical pro­perties and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy in the attenuated total reflectance revealed that the hydrophilicity and crystallinity of poly(3HB-co-3HV) copolyesters decreased as 3HV content in the copolyester increased. When the prepared copolyester film samples were non-enzymatically hydrolysed in 0.01 N NaOH solution, the weights of all samples were found to have undergone no changes over a period of 20 weeks. In contrast, the copolyester film samples were degraded by the action of extra­cellular polyhydroxybutyrate depolymerase from Emericellopsis minima W2. The overall rate of weight loss was higher in the films containing higher amounts of 3HV, suggesting that the enzymatic degra­dation of the copolyester is more dependent on the crystallinity of the copolyester than on its hydro­philicity. Our results suggest that the degradability characteristics of poly(3HB-co-3HV) copolyesters, as well as their thermo-mechanical properties, are greatly influenced by the 3HV content in the copoly­esters.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.92-100
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• 1996

For the production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate)(P(3HB-co-3HV)) from butyric acid and valeric acid, 10 strains of bacteria capable of producing P(3HB-co-3HV) were isolated from soil. Among them, the strain HJ-067 showed the best ability of producing P(3HB-co-3HV), and was indentified as a Azotobacter sp. For the production of P(3HB-co-3HV), the optimum concentrations of butyric and valeric acid were 3.0g/l, respectively. The most effective nitrogen source was $(NH_4)_{2}SO_4$ at an optimum concentration of 0.75g/l, which was equivalent to 21.36 in C/N ratio. Deficiency of the cationic metal ions ($Zn^{2+},\;Co^{2+},\;Mn^{2+}$) in the proguction medium had stimulating effect on P(3HB-co-3HV) accumulation, especially in the manganese. deficient medium. The optimum temperature for P(3HB-co-3HV) production was 27$^{\circ}C$ and the optimum initial pH was 7.0. Under the optimum conditions, 1.82g/l of P(3HB-co-3HV) and 3.00g/l of dry biomass were produced after 36 hour cultivation, and the P(3HB-co-3HV) yield and HV% were 60.60% (w/w), 15.92%, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.127-133
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• 1997

Biosynthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate and copolymer consisting of 3-hydroxybutyrate and 3-hydroxyvalerate [poly(3HB-co-3HV)] by Bacillus thuringiensis R-510 grown with glucose or with mixtures of glucose and propionate was investigated. n-Alkanoic acids other than propionate were not precursors of 3HV units. The fraction of 3HV unit in the copolymer increased from 0 to 84 mol% of 3HV. Polymer yield decreased as the fraction of propionate was increased but the molecular weight distribution was not affected by the composition of carbon substrate. The minimum melting temperature (around 65.deg.C) of poly (3HB-co-3HV) copolymers was observed for the polymer bearing approximately 35 mol% of 3HV. Polyhydroxyalkanoates production by this organism was not dependent on nutritional limitation, but remarkably influenced by dissolved oxygen concentration in the culture medium. Low level of dissolved oxygen concentration prevented spore formation in the cells and stimulated the synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoate. The composition of poly (3HB-co-3HV) produced by B. thuringiensis R-510 lyhydroxyalkanoate. The composition of poly(3HB-co-3HV) propduced by B. thuringiensis R-510 varied according to the growth time. However, there was no evidence that polymers isolated from cells were mixtures of immiscible polymers.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.18 no.5
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• pp.404-407
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• 2003

Two recombinant Escherichia coli strains, GCSC6576 harboring a plasmid pSYL107 containing the Ralstonia eutropha polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis genes and a fadR atoC mutant LS5218 harboring a plasmid pJC4 containing the Alcaligenes latus PHA biosynthesis genes were compared for their ability to synthesize poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-3HV) from whey. The 3HV fraction could be increased by acetic acid induction and oleic acid supplementation in flask cultures of recombinant E. coli GCSC6576. With the pH-stat fed-batch culture of recombinant E. coli LS5218, we obtained a cell concentration, a P(3HB-co-3HV) concentration, a P(3HB-co-3HV) content, and a 3HV fraction of 31.8 g/L, 10.6 g/L, 33.4%, and 6.26 mol%, respectively in 39 h.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2001.11a
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• pp.321-324
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• 2001

Two recombinant Escherichia coli strains, GCSC6576 harboring a plasmid pSYL107 containing the Ralstonia eutropha polyhyclroxyalkanoate (PHA) biosynthesis genes and a fadR atoC mutant LS5218 harboring a plasmid pJC4 containing the Alcaligenes latus PHA biosynthesis genes were compared for their ability to synthesize poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) [P(3HB-co-3HV)] from whey as the sale carbon source. With the pH-stat fed-batch culture of E. coli LS5218, 、 ,ve obtained a cell concentration, a P(3HB-co-3HV) concentration. a P(3HB-co-3HV) content, and a 3HV fraction of 31.8 g/L, 10.6 g/L, 33.4 wt%. and 6.26 mol%, respectively at 39 h.

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.540-545
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• 2005

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate), poly(3HB-co-3HV), copolyesters, with 3-hydroxyvalerate (3HV) contents ranging from 17 to 60 mol%, were produced by Alcaligenes sp. MT-16, and their biocompatibility evaluated by the growth of Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and the adsorption of blood proteins and platelets onto their film surfaces. The number of CHO cells that adhered to and grew on these films was higher with increasing 3HV content. In contrast, the tendency for blood proteins and platelets to adhere to the copolyester surfaces significantly decreased with increasing 3HV content. Examination of the surface morphology using atomic force microscopy revealed that the surface roughness was an important factor in determining the biocompatibility of theses copolyesters. The results obtained in this study suggest that poly(3HB-co-3HV) copolyesters, with >30 mol% 3HV, may be useful in biocompatible biomedical applications.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.11 no.12
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• pp.1315-1320
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• 2002

Since the enzymatic degradation of microbial poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate] (P(3HB-co-3HV)) initially occurs by a surface erosion process, a degradation behavior could be controlled by the change of surface property. In order to control the rate of enzymatic degradation, plasma gas discharge and blending techniques were used to modify the surface of microbial P(3HB-co-3HV). The surface hydrophobic property of P(3HB-co-3HV) film was introduced by CF$_3$H plasma exposure. Also, the addition of small amount of polystyrene as a non-degradable polymer with lower surface energy to P(3HB-co-3HV) has been studied. The enzymatic degradation was carried out at 37 $^{\circ}C$ in 0.1 M potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.4) in the presence of an extracellular PHB depolymerase purified from Alcaligenes facalis T1. Both results showed the significant retardation of enzymatic erosion due to the hydrophobicity and the enzyme inactivity of the fluorinated- and PS-enriched surface layers.