Open AccessPoly(β‐hydroxyalkanoate) biosynthesis and accumulation by different Rhizobium species
Author(s) -
Tombolini R.,
Nuti M.P.
Publication year - 1989
Publication title -
fems microbiology letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.899
H-Index - 151
eISSN - 1574-6968
pISSN - 0378-1097
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6968.1989.tb03490.x
Subject(s) - rhizobium , propionate , rhizobiaceae , dry weight , rhizobium leguminosarum , fermentation , valerate , bacteria , food science , sucrose , biology , chemistry , botany , biochemistry , symbiosis , butyrate , genetics
Synthesis and accumulation of poly(β‐hydroxy‐alkanoate) in Rhizobium leguminosarum , R. leguminosarum biovar. trifolii, Rhizobium ‘galega’, Rhizobium ‘hedysarum’ and R. meliloti were studied. Poly(β‐hydroxybutyrate) is accumulated up to 55% of the cell dry weight. At 30–50% air saturation R. meliloti accumulates 50% of its biomass (5.5 g·1 −1 dry weight) as PHB after 90 h of batch fermentation. At 90% air saturation maximum accumulation (37.5%) of PHB occurs after 70 h cultivation. R. meliloti strain 41 is able to synthesize the copolymer poly(β‐hydroxybutyrate‐co‐β‐hydroxyvalerate) at concentrations up to 58% of the biomass dry weight, containing up to 22 mol%β‐hydroxyvalerate. Different concentrations of both copolymer and hydroxyvalerate were obtained when the microorganism was grown, in batch culture, in the presence of propionate or valerate and with glucose, sucrose or succinate as main carbon source.