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Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Crude Glycerol Using Recombinant Escherichia coli

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Abstract

The high production cost of bio-based plastic polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) limits their use as commercial products. Thus, systems for PHAs production from waste substrates could reduce production costs. Crude glycerol is a by-product of biodiesel fuel production and thus represents an inexpensive, abundant and promising carbon source for production of valorized fermentation products. In this study, industrial crude glycerol by-product from palm oil biodiesel production was used as the carbon source for production of PHAs by recombinant Escherichia coli. Crude glycerol supplemented at 1–5 % (v/v) supported production of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (P(3HB)) in E. coli-ABC Ah , which harbors the PHA synthetic genes for β-ketothiolase (PhaA Re ), acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (PhaB Re ) of Ralstonia eutropha and Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase (PhaC Ah ) of Aeromonas hydrophila. The highest P(3HB) content and productivity of 14 wt% of cell dry weight and 0.6 g/L, respectively, were obtained at 1 % (v/v) glycerol concentration. Production of P(3HB-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (P(3HB-co-3HHx)) was achieved using E. coli-ABC Ah J Ah , harboring genes for PhaA Re , PhaB Re , PhaC Ah , and the (R)-specific enoyl-CoA hydratase (PhaJ Ah ) of A. hydrophila. This led to the copolymer content of 3 wt% of cell dry weight with 1 mol% of 3HHx. Molecular weight and degradation temperature of the polymers were in the range of 110–130 kDa and 295–299 °C, respectively. These results indicated that crude glycerol could be an attractive carbon source for economical production of PHAs with properties for industrial application.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr. Isao Noda for kindly providing standard P(3HB-co-3HHx) (Nodax™). Manuscript proofreading by Dr. Philip Shaw is appreciated. This work was supported by the Royal Golden Jubilee Ph.D. Program Scholarship Program (PHD/0268/2549), Mahidol University and a research grant from the National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, National Science and Technology Development Agency, Thailand.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Molecular Biosciences, Mahidol University, Salaya, Nakornpathom, 73170, Thailand

    Chitwadee Phithakrotchanakoon & Kusol Pootanakit

  2. Enzyme Technology Laboratory, Bioresources Technology Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, Thailand Science Park, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand

    Verawat Champreda

  3. Biological Substance Engineering Research Group, Bioproduction Research Institute, National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-8566, Japan

    Sei-ichi Aiba

  4. Microbial Cell Factory Laboratory, Bioresources Technology Unit, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology, 113 Thailand Science Park, Khlong Luang, Pathum Thani, 12120, Thailand

    Sutipa Tanapongpipat

Authors
  1. Chitwadee Phithakrotchanakoon
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  2. Verawat Champreda
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  3. Sei-ichi Aiba
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  4. Kusol Pootanakit
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  5. Sutipa Tanapongpipat
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Correspondence to Sutipa Tanapongpipat.

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Phithakrotchanakoon, C., Champreda, V., Aiba, Si. et al. Production of Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Crude Glycerol Using Recombinant Escherichia coli . J Polym Environ 23, 38–44 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-014-0681-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10924-014-0681-8

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