• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.23 no.5
• /
• pp.588-592
• /
• 1995

Fed-batch fermentation was used to produce the high concentrations of poly-$\beta $-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly-$\beta $-(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (PHB/V). Specific growth rate ($\mu $), yield of cell from glucose (Y$_{x/s}$) were calculated from the two samples in 3 to 5 hours of interval and they were reflected on the determination of glucose feeding rate to maintain the glucose concentration at around 10 g/l in the culture broth. PHB was accumulated after the nitrogen became limited at 60 g/l of dry cell weight by changing ammonia water to 4N-NaOH solution. As results, the final dry cell weight (DCW) of 170 g/l, PHB of 115 g/l were obtained in 50 hours and the overall productivity was 2.4 g/l$\cdot $h. After PHB accumulation, cosubstrate of glucose and propionic acid (PA) was fed to accumulate PHB/V. But, PA feeding rate was decreased from 3 g/l$\cdot $h to 1 g/l$\cdot $h to prevent PA from accumulating to high level in the broth, which is very inhibitory to the cells. As results, DCW, PHB and PHV were 147.5 g/l, 90 g/l and 8 mole % of hydroxyvalerate, respectively.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
• /
• v.6 no.4
• /
• pp.379-384
• /
• 1997

The biodegradable characteristics of poly-$\beta$-hydroxybutyrate(PHB) film by fun맥 and soil burial are Investigated. As the results of the American Standards for Testing and Materials(ASTM) method, the you of Aspergillus niger was apparent on the PHB containing plate. This suggests that PHB was utilized as the sole carbon source by Aspergillus niger and ASTM method may have applications as measuring means of biome gradability of polyhydroxyalkanoic acid(PHA). PHB film was studied by monitoring the time-dependant changes in weight loss of PHB film under 30% and relative humidity 80 % during pot-test. As the results of pot-test, PHB film was decomposed about 87 % in 30 days by soul microorganisms. PHB film was more slowly degraded than PHB/HV film.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.6 no.6
• /
• pp.425-431
• /
• 1996

The enzymatic characteristics of Alcaligenes latus were investigated by measuring the variations of various enzyme activities related to biosynthesis and degradation of poly-${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) during cultivation. All PHB biosynthetic enzymes, ${\beta}$-ketothiolase, acetoacetyl-CoA reductase, and PHB synthase, were activated gradually at the PHB accumulation stage, and the PHB synthase showed the highest value among three enzymes. This indicates that the rate of PHB biosynthesis is mainly controlled by either ${\beta}$-ketothiolase or acetoacetyl-CoA reductase rather than PHB synthase. The enzymatic activities related to the degradation of PHB were also measured, and the degradation of PHB was controlled by the activity of PHB depolymerase. The effect of supplements of metabolic regulators, citrate and tyrosine, was also investigated, and the activity of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase was increased by metabolic regulators, especially by tyrosine. The activities of ${\beta}$-ketothiolase and acetoacetyl-CoA reductase were also activated by citrate and tyrosine, while the activity of PHB depolymerase was depressed. The increased rate and yield of PHB biosynthesis by metabolic regulators may be due to the increment of acetyl-CoA concentration either by the repression of the TCA cycle by citrate through product inhibition or by the activation of sucrose metabolism by the supplemented tyrosine.

• The Journal of Natural Sciences
• /
• v.9 no.1
• /
• pp.53-56
• /
• 1997

The structure of poly-$\beta$-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) in Chlorogloea fritschii was analyzed by FT-IR spectrometry under various conditions (phosphate starves or sufficient conditions). They exhibited characteristic absorption peaks for PHB, such as C=O stretching band at 1700-1800 $cm^-1$and C-H stretching bands at about 2900 $cm^-1$, however, the intensity of C-H stretching peaks, relative to the rest of the spectrum was increased under phosphate starved condition, which suggests that C. fritschii might produce another modified PHB polymer under phosphate starved condition.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.20 no.5
• /
• pp.597-606
• /
• 1992

Effects of dilution rate, inlet glucose and ammonium chloride concentrations on ,he performance of continuous culture of Alcaligenes eutrQPhus for poly-p-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production were investigated. When inlet substrate concentrations were maintained constant (inlet glucose concentration = 20 g/l, inlet ammonium chloride concentration = 2 g/l), growth rate of residual biomass and PHB production rate showed its maximum at $0.1h^{-1}$ and $0.06h^{-1}$, respectively, and washout at $0.13h^{-1}$. PHB content decreased from 50% to 25% by increasing dilution rate, while specific PHB production rate increased continuously. Cell mass and PHB concentration gave its maximum values at inlet ammonium chloride concentration of 2 g/l and thereafter decreased, which showed the existence of substrate inhibition by ammonium. When inlet glucose concentration was 30 g/l, cell mass reached its maximum value, while PHB concentration increased continuously. The parameters of kinetic model were evaluated by the graphical and parameter estimation methods. The computer simulation results for the effects of dilution rate, inlet glucose and ammonium chloride concentrations fitted the experimental data very well.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.10 no.2
• /
• pp.176-182
• /
• 1995

The environmental and physiological factors affecting the production of exopolysaccharide (Methylan) and Poly-${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate(PHB) by Methylobacterium organophilum were investigated. The maximum PHB content was obtained at $38^{\circ}C$ whereas maximum polysaccharide concentration was $3.54g/\ell$ at $30^{\circ}C$. Optimum pH was pH 7-8 for PHB production and pH 6-7 for polysaccharide production, respectively. Under the condition of $Mo^{2+}, Mg^{2+} or Mn^{2+}$ limitation with nitrogenlimitation, the PHB accumulation was increased, whereas the polysaccharide production was decreased as compared with that of solenitrogenlimitation. Under the condition of sole K+ limitation, cell growth was significantly inhibited and no polysaccharide was produced. However, the PHB content was as high as 60% of dry cell weight. Effect of C/N ratios (methanol/ammonium) in the feeding solution was examined for the simultaneous production of polysaccharide and PHB. The higher ratio of C/N showed the lower cell growth, higher content of PHB in cells, and higher yield of polysaccharide.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.18 no.3
• /
• pp.273-279
• /
• 1990

For poly- $\beta$ -hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production, a pink-pigmented facultative methylotrophic bacterium (PPFM) P-10 was newly isolated from soils through methanol-enrichment culture. The optimal medium composition for cell growth was 1.0% (vlv) of methanol as carbon source and l.Og/l of ,TEX>$NH_4Cl$, equivalent to C/N ratio of 13.2 at pH 7.0 and $30^{\circ}C$. To investigate the optimal condition for YHB accumulation, two-stage culture technique was adopted; first stage for cell growth and second stage for accumulation of PHB providing unbalanced growth conditions. The optimal PHB accumulation was 1.0% (vIv) of methanol and 0.26gll of $NH_4Cl$, C/N of 50.8 at pH 6.0. To overcome methanol inhibition on cell growth, intermittent feeding fed-batch culture technique was employed, and the cell concentration as high as 14gll with 40% of PHB was achieved. The purified PHB was identified using IR and $1^H NMR$ as homopolymer of 8hydroxybutyric acid. The absorption spectrum of extracted pink colored microbial pigment was alsa investigated.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.22 no.4
• /
• pp.401-406
• /
• 1994

The medium compositions of Alcaligenes eutrophus were optimized for increasing PHB productivity. It is very important to optimize the concentrations of inorganic salts and trace eleme- nts as well as carbon and nitrogen sources to maximize cell growth rate and productivity. The fed-batch culture of Alcaligenes eutrophus by dual feeding of ammonia water and glucose under optimized initial medium concentrations was carried out. Glucose was fed manually according to glucose consumption rate and ammonia water by pH-stat. The final cell concentrations and PHB content in 30 hours were 122 g/l and 65% of dry cell weight(yielding 79 g of PHB/l), respectively and 2.64 g/l/hr of PHB production rate was obtained.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.42 no.1
• /
• pp.1-6
• /
• 1999

Poly-${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and enzymes related PHB metabolism have been measured in nitrogen-fixing symbiosis of chickpea and cowpea plants. Bacteroids from chickpea and cowpea contained PHB to 0.8% and 43% of their dry weight, respectively, whereas the free-living cells CC 1192 and I 16 produced $285{\pm}55mg$ and $157{\pm}18mg$ of PHB g (dry weight)$^{-1}$. To further understand why chickpea bacteroids contained little PHB, the enzyme activities of PHB metabolism (3-ketothiolase, acetoacetyl-CoA reductase, PHB depolymerase, and 3-hydroxybutyrate dehydrogenase), the TCA cycle (malate dehydrogenase, citrate synthase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase), and related reactions (malic enzyme, pyruvate dehydrogenase, and glutamate:2-oxoglutarate transaminase) were compared in extracts from chickpea and cowpea bacteroids and the respective free-living bacteria. Significant differences were observed between chickpea and cowpea bacteroids and between the bacteroid and free-living forms of CC 1192, with respect to the capacity for some of these reactions. It is indicated that a greater potential for oxidizing malate to oxaloacetate in chickpea bacteroids could be a factor that favors the utilization of acetyl-CoA in TCA cycle rather than for PHB synthesis.

• KSBB Journal
• /
• v.6 no.1
• /
• pp.35-43
• /
• 1991

The production of poly-$\beta$-hydroxybutyrate(PHB) from methanol by batch and fed-batch cultivations of Methylobacterium sp. GL-10 was studied. PHB accumulation was stimulated by the nutrients deficiency including, NH4+, SO42-, and K+. The nitrogen deficiency was the most critical factor for PHB accumulation. In batch cultivation, the maximum cell concentration and PHB content were 1.86g/l and 0.62g/l, respectively, with 1.0%(v/v) of methanol and 0.5g/1 of ammonium sulfate. The mass doubling time of Methylobacterum sp. GL-10 was in the range of 4-5 hrs. The cell growth and PHB accumulation were severely inhibited at the methanol concentration over than 2% (v/v). To overcome methanol Inhibition, constant feeding and intermittent feedillg fed-batch cultivations were adopted, using C/N molar ratio as a control factor. In constant feeding fed-batch process, cell concentration was increased up to 2.67g/1, and PHB yield was enhanced from 0.33 of batch culture to 0.53. The relatively low cell concentration was caused by methanol accumulated in culture broth at late growth phase. To prevent methanol accumulation and to maximize PHB production, DO-state intermittent fed-batch cultivation was attempted. The cell and PHB concentration was reached up to 4.55g/1 and 1.80g/1, respectively. It was possible to maintain methanol concentration low and also to feed nutrient of desired C/N molar ratio.