Abstract
Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) produced by many bacteria have been investigated by microbiologists, molecular biologists, biochemists, chemical engineers, chemists, polymer experts, and medical researchers over the past many years. Applications of PHA as bioplastics, fine chemicals, implant biomaterials, medicines, and biofuels have been developed. Companies have been established or involved in PHA-related R&D as well as large-scale production. PHA synthesis has been found to improve the robustness of non-PHA-producing microorganisms and to regulate bacterial metabolism, leading to yield improvement for some bacterial fermentation products. In addition, amphiphilic proteins related to PHA synthesis including PhaP, PhaZ, and PhaC have been found to be useful for achieving protein purification and even specific drug targeting. It has become clear that PHA and its related technologies are forming an industrial value chain ranging from fermentation, materials, and energy to medical fields.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
References
Abe H, Doi Y, Aoki H, Akehata T, Hori Y, Yamaguchi A (1995) Physical properties and enzymatic degradability of copolymers of (R)-3-hydroxybutyric and 6-hydroxyhexanoic acids. Macromolecules 28:7630–763
Alderete JE, Karl DW, Park CH (1993) Production of poly(hydroxybutyrate) homopolymer and copolymer from ethanol and propanol in a fed-batch culture. Biotechnol Prog 9:520–525
Anderson AJ, Haywood GW, Dawes EA (1990) Biosynthesis and composition of bacterial poly(hydroxyalkanoates). Int J Biol Macromol 12:102–105
Bian YZ, Wang Y, Guli S, Chen GQ, Wu Q (2009) Evaluation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) conduits for peripheral nerve regeneration. Biomaterials 30:217–225
Bissery MC, Valeriote F, Thies C (1985) Therapeutic efficacy of CCNU-loaded microspheres prepared from poly(D,L)lactide (PLA) or poly-β-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) against Lewis lung (LL) carcinoma. Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res 26:355–355
Brophy MR, Deasy PB (1986) In vitro and in vivo studies on biodegradable polyester microparticles containing sulfamethizole. Int J Pharm 29:223–231
Brzostowicz PC, Blasko MS, Rouvière PE (2002) Identification of two gene clusters involved in cyclohexanone oxidation in Brevibacterium epidermidis strain HCU. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 58:781–789
Byrom D (1992) Production of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate-poly-beta-hydroxyvalerate copolymers. FEMS Microbiol Rev 103:247–250
Castro-Sowinski S, Burdman S, Matan O, Okon Y (2009) Natural functions of bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates. Microbiol Monogr. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-03287-5_3
Chen GQ (2009a) A polyhydroxyalkanoates based bio- and materials industry. Chem Soc Rev. 38:2434–2446
Chen GQ (2009b) Industrial production of PHA. Microbiol Monogr. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-03287-5_6
Chen GQ, Zhang G, Park SJ, Lee SJ (2001) Industrial production of poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate). Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 57:50–55
Chen JY, Liu T, Zheng Z, Chen JC, Chen GQ (2004) Polyhydroxyalkanoate synthases PhaC1 and PhaC2 from Pseudomonas stutzeri 1317 had different substrate specificities. FEMS Microbiol Lett 234:231–237
Chen GQ and Wu Q (2005) Polyhydroxyalkanoates as tissue engineering materials. Biomaterials 26:6565–6578
Cheng S, Chen GQ, Leski M, Zou B, Wang Y, Wu Q (2006a) The effect of D,L-β-hydroxybutyric acid on cell death and proliferation in L929 cells. Biomaterials 27:3758–3765
Cheng S, Wu Q, Zhao Y, Zou B, Chen GQ (2006b) Poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyhexanoate) microparticles stimulate murine fibroblast L929 cell proliferation. Polym Degrad Stab 91:3191–3196
Chohan SN, Copeland L (1998) Acetoacetyl coenzyme A reductase and polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis in Rhizobium (Cicer) sp. strain CC 1192. Appl Environ Microbiol 64:2859–2863
Chung CW, Kim YS, Kim YB, Bae KS, Rhee YH (1999) Isolation of a Pseudomonas sp. strain exhibiting unusual behavior of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates) biosynthesis and characterization of synthesized polyesters. J Microbiol Biotechnol 9:847–853
Chung A, Liu Q, Ouyang SP, Wu Q, Chen GQ (2009) Microbial production of 3-hydroxydodecanoic acid by pha-operon and fadBA knockout mutant of Pseudomonas putida KT2442 harboring tesB gene. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 83:513–519
Clarinval AM, Halleux J (2005) Classification of biodegradable polymers. In: Smith R (ed) Biodegradable polymers for industrial applications. CRC, Boca Raton, pp 3–56
Dai ZW, Zou XH, Chen GQ (2009) Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) as an injectable implant system for prevention of post-surgical tissue adhesion. Biomaterials 30:3075–3083
de Roo G, Kellerhals MB, Ren Q, Witholt B, Kessler B (2002) Production of chiral R-3-hydroxyalkanoic acids and R-3-hydroxyalkanoic acid methylesters via hydrolytic degradation of polyhydroxyalkanoate synthesized by pseudomonads. Biotechnol Bioeng 77:717–722
Gould PL, Holland SJ, Tighe BJ (1987) Polymers for biodegradable medical devices. 4-Hydroxybutyrate valerate copolymers as nondisintegrating matrices for controlled-release oral dosage forms. Int J Pharm 38:231–237
He WN, Zhang ZM, Hu P, Chen GQ (1999) Microbial synthesis and characterization of polyhydroxyalkanoates by strain DG17 from glucose. Acta Polym Sin 6:709–714
Hrabak O (1992) Industrial production of poly-beta-hyrdoxybutyrate. FEMS Microbiol Rev 103:251–255
Iwata T, Doi Y (2000) Morphology and crystal structure of solution-grown single crystals of poly[(R)-3-hydroxyvalerate]. Macromolecules 33:5559–5565
Kemnitzer JE, McCarthy SP, Gross RA (1993) Preparation of predominantly syndiotactic poly(beta-hydroxybutyrate) by the tributyltin methoxide catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of racemic beta-butyrolactone. Macromolecules 26:1221–1229
Koosha F, Muller RH, Davis SS (1989) Polyhydroxybutyrate as a drug carrier. CRC Crit Rev Ther Drug Carrier Syst 6:117–130
Kourtz L, Dillon K, Daughtry S, Madison LL, Peoples O, Snell KD (2005) A novel thiolase-reductase gene fusion promotes the production of polyhydroxybutyrate in Arabidopsis. Plant Biotechnol J 3:435–447
Kubota M, Nakano M, Juni K (1988) Mechanism of enhancement of the release rate of aclarubicin from poly-beta-hydroxybutyric acid microspheres by fatty acid esters. Chem Pharm Bull 36:333–337
Lageveen RG, Huisman GW, Preusting H, Ketelaar P, Eggink G, Witholt B (1988) Formation of polyesters by Pseudomonas oleovorans: effect of substrates on formation and composition of poly-(R)-3-hydroxyalkanoates and poly-(R)-3-hydroxyalkenoates. Appl Environ Microbiol 54:2924–2932
Lee SY, Lee Y, Wang FL (1999) Chiral compounds from bacterial polyesters: sugars to plastics to fine chemicals. Biotechnol Bioeng 65:363–368
Lossl A, Bohmert K, Harloff H, Eibl C, Muhlbauer S, Koop HU (2005) Inducible trans-activation of plastid transgenes: expression of the R. eutropha phb operon in transplastomic tobacco. Plant Cell Physiol 46:1462–1471
McChalicher CWJ, Srienc F (2007) Investigating the structure–property relationship of bacterial PHA block copolymers. J Biotechnol 132:296–302
Menzel G, Harloff HJ, Jung C (2003) Expression of bacterial poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) synthesis genes in hairy roots of sugar beet. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 60:571–576
Mikova G, Chodak I (2006) Properties and modification of poly(3-hydroxybutanoate). Chem Listy 100:1075–1083
Mittendorf V, Robertson EJ, Leech RM, Krüger N, Steinbüchel A, Poirier Y (1998) Synthesis of medium-chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates in Arabidopsis thaliana using intermediates of peroxisomal fatty acid β-oxidation. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 95:13397–13402
Noda I, Lindsey SB, Caraway D (2009) Nodaxâ„¢ class PHA copolymers: their properties and applications. Microbiol Monogr. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-03287-5_10
Pederson EN, McChalicher CWJ, Srienc F (2006) Bacterial synthesis of PHA block copolymers. Biomacromolecules 7:1904–1911
Poirier Y (2002) Polyhydroxyalknoate synthesis in plants as a tool for biotechnology and basic studies of lipid metabolism. Prog Lipid Res 41:131–155
Poirier Y, Brumbley SM (2009) Metabolic engineering of plants for the synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanaotes. Microbiol Monogr. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-03287-5_8
Pouton CW, Akhtar S (1996) Biosynthetic polyhydroxyalkanoates and their potential in drug delivery. Adv Drug Deliv Rev 18:133–162
Purnell MP, Petrasovits LA, Nielsen LK, Brumbley SM (2007) Spatio-temporal characterization of polyhydroxybutyrate accumulation in sugarcane. Plant Biotechnol J 5:173–184
Ren Q, Grubelnik A, Hoerler M, Ruth K, Hartmann R, Felber H, Zinn M (2005) Bacterial poly(hydroxyalkanoates) as a source of chiral hydroxyalkanoic acids. Biomacromolecules 6:2290–2298
Reusch RN (1989) Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate calcium polyphosphate complexes in eukaryotic membranes. Proc Soc Exp Biol Med 191:377–381
Reusch RN (1992) Biological complexes of poly-β-hydroxybutyrate. FEMS Microbiol 103:119–129
Reusch RN, Sparrow AW, Gardiner J (1992) Transport of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate in human plasma. Biochim Biophys Acta 1123:33–40
Rieth LR, Moore DR, Lobkovsky EB, Coates GW (2002) Single-site beta-diiminate zinc catalysts for the ring-opening polymerization of beta-butyrolactone and beta-valerolactone to poly(3-hydroxyalkanoates). J Am Chem Soc 124:15239–15248
Saito Y, Nakamura S, Hiramitsu M, Doi Y (1996) Microbial synthesis and properties of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate). Polym Int 39:169–174
Shimamura E, Scandola M, Doi Y (1994) Microbial synthesis and characterization of poly(3-hydroxybutyrateco-3-hydroxypropionate). Macromolecules 27:4429–4435
Somleva MN, Snell KD, Beaulieu JJ, Peoples OP, Garrison BR, Patterson NA (2008) Production of polyhydroxybutyrate in switchgrass, a value-added co-product in an important lignocellulosic biomass crop. Plant Biotechnol J 6:663–678
Steinbüchel A, Schmack G (1995) Large-Scale production of poly(3-hydroxyvaleric acid) by fermentation of Chromobacterium violaceum, processing, and characterization of the homopolyester. J Environ Polym Degrad 3:243–258
Steinbüchel A, Debzi EM, Marchessault RH, Timm A (1993) Synthesis and production of poly(3-hydroxyvaleric acid) homopolyester by Chromabacterium violaceum. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 39:443–449
Steinbüchel A, Valentin HE, Schünebaum A (1994) Application of recombinant gene technology for production of polyhydroxyalkanoic acids: biosynthesis of poly(4-hydroxybutyric acid) homopolyester. J Environ Polym Degrad 2:67–74
Sudesh K, Abe H, Doi Y (2000) Synthesis, structure and properties of polyhydroxyalkanoates: biological polyesters. Prog Polym Sci 25:1503–1555
Sun J, Dai ZW, Chen GQ (2007) Oligomers of polyhydroxyalkanoates stimulated calcium ion channels in mammalian cells. Biomaterials 28:3896–3903
Taguchi K, Aoyagi Y, Matsusaki H, Fukui T, Doi Y (1999) Over-expression of 3-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III or malonyl-CoA-ACP transacylase gene induces monomer supply for polyhydroxybutyrate production in Escherichia coli HB101. Biotechnol Lett 21:579–584
Taguchi S, Yamada M, Matsumoto K, Tajima K, Satoh Y, Munekata M, Ohno K, Kohda K, Shimamura T, Kambe H, Obata S (2008) A microbial factory for lactate-based polyesters using a lactate-polymerizing enzyme. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 105:17323–17327
Tanaka T, Yabe T, Teramachi S, Iwata T (2007) Mechanical properties and enzymatic degradation of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] fibers stretched after isothermal crystallization near T-g. Polym Degrad Stab 92:1016–1024
Tasaki O, Hiraide A, Shiozaki T, Yamamura H, Ninomiya N, Sugimoto H (1999) The dimer and trimer of 3-hydroxybutyrate oligomer as a precursor of ketone bodies for nutritional care. J Parenter Enteral Nutr 23:321–325
Valentin HE, Dennis D (1997) Production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate) in recombinant Escherichia coli grown on glucose. J Biotechnol 58:33–38
Valentin HE, Steinbüchel A (1995) Accumulation of poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid-co-3-hydroxyvaleric acid-co-4-hydroxyvaleric acid) by mutants and recombinant strains of Alcaligenes eutrophus. J Environ Polym Degrad 3:169–175
Vogel R, Tandler B, Voigt D, Jehnichen D, Haussler L, Peitzsch L, Brunig H (2007) Melt spinning of bacterial aliphatic polyester using reactive extrusion for improvement of crystallization. Macromol Biosci 7:820–828
Wang HH, Chen GQ (2009) Production and characterization of homopolymer polyhydroxyheptanoate (P3HHp) by a fadBA knockout mutant Pseudomonas putida KTOY06 derived from P. putida KT2442. Process Biochem 44:106–111
Wang Y, Bian YZ, Wu Q, Chen GQ (2008a) Evaluation of three-dimensional scaffolds prepared from poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) for growth of allogeneic chondrocytes for cartilage repair in rabbits. Biomaterials 29:2858–2868
Wang ZH, Wu HN, Chen J, Zhang J, Chen GQ (2008b) A novel self-cleaving phasin tag for purification of recombinant proteins based on hydrophobic nanoparticles. Lab Chip 8:1957–1962
Weiner RM (1997) Biopolymers from marine prokaryotes. Trends Biotechnol 15:390–394
Wrobel M, Zebrowski J, Szopa J (2004) Polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis in transgenic flax. J Biotechnol 107:41–54
Wu Q, Sun SQ, Yu PHF, Chen AXZ, Chen GQ (2000) Environmental dependence of microbial synthesis of polyhydroxyalkanoates. Acta Polym Sin 6:751–756
Wu LP, Cheng ST, Chen GQ, Xu KT (2008) Synthesis, characterization and biocompatibility of novel biodegradable poly[((R)-3-hydroxybutyrate)-block-(D,L-lactide)-block-(epsilon-caprolactone)] triblock copolymers. Polym Int 57:939–949
Xiao XQ, Zhao Y, Chen GQ (2007) The effect of 3-hydroxybutyrate and its derivatives on the growth of glial cells. Biomaterials 28:3608–3616
Xie WP, Chen GQ (2008) Production and characterization of terpolyester poly(3-hydroxybutyrate -co-4-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) by recombinant Aeromonas hydrophila 4AK4 harboring genes phaPCJ. Biochem Eng J 38:384–389
Yao YC, Zhan XY, Zou XH, Wang ZH, Xiong YC, Zhang J, Chen J, Chen GQ (2008) A specific drug targeting system based on polyhydroxyalkanoate granule binding protein PhaP fused with targeted cell ligands. Biomaterials 29:4823–4830
Zhang XJ, Luo RC, Wang Z, Deng Y, Chen GQ (2009) Applications of (R)-3-hydroxyalkanoate methyl esters derived from microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates as novel biofuel. Biomacromolecules. doi:10.1021/bm801424e
Zhao W, Chen GQ (2007) Production and Characterization of terpolyester poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) by recombinant Aeromonas hydrophila 4AK4 harboring genes phaAB. Process Biochem 42:1342–1347
Zheng LZ, Li Z, Tian HL, Li M, Chen GQ (2005) Molecular cloning and functional analysis of (R)-3-hydroxyacyl-acyl carrier protein:coenzyme A transacylase from Pseudomonas mendocina LZ. FEMS Microbiol Lett 252:299–307
Zou XH, Li HM, Wang S, Leski M, Yao YC, Yang XD, Huang QJ, Chen GQ (2009) The effect of 3-hydroxybutyrate methyl ester on learning and memory in mice. Biomaterials 30:1532–1541
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2010 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Chen, GQ. (2010). Plastics Completely Synthesized by Bacteria: Polyhydroxyalkanoates. In: Chen, GQ. (eds) Plastics from Bacteria. Microbiology Monographs, vol 14. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03287-5_2
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-03287-5_2
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-03286-8
Online ISBN: 978-3-642-03287-5
eBook Packages: Biomedical and Life SciencesBiomedical and Life Sciences (R0)