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Influence of pH on the Molecular Weight of Poly-3-hydroxybutyric Acid (P3HB) Produced by Recombinant Escherichia coli

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Abstract

The production of ultrahigh molecular weight poly-3-hydroxybutyric acid (P3HB) from carbohydrates by recombinant Escherichia coli harboring genes from Ralstonia eutropha was evaluated. In shaken-flask experiments, E. coli XL1 Blue harboring plasmid pSK::phaCAB produced P3HB corresponding to 40 and 27 % of cell dry weight from glucose and xylose, respectively. Cultures in bioreactor using glucose as the sole carbon source at variable pH values (6.0, 6.5, or 7.0) allowed the production of P3HB with molecular weight varying between 2.0 and 2.5 MDa. These figures are significantly higher than the values often obtained by natural bacterial strains (0.5–1.0 MDa). Contrary to reports of other authors, no influence of pH was observed on the molecular weight of the polymer produced. Using xylose, P3HB with high molecular weight was also produced, indicating the possibility to produce these polymers from lignocellulosic materials.

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Acknowledgments

The authors wish to thank CNPq-Brazil for the financial support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo, Av. Prof. Lineu Prestes 1374, 05508-900, São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Johanna Katherine Bocanegra, Luiziana Ferreira da Silva, Marilda Keico Taciro & Jose Gregório Cabrera Gomez

  2. National Laboratory for Science and Technology of Bioethanol (CTBE), Rua Giuseppe Máximo Scolfaro, 10000, Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil

    José Geraldo da Cruz Pradella

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  1. Johanna Katherine Bocanegra
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Correspondence to Jose Gregório Cabrera Gomez.

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Bocanegra, J.K., da Cruz Pradella, J.G., da Silva, L.F. et al. Influence of pH on the Molecular Weight of Poly-3-hydroxybutyric Acid (P3HB) Produced by Recombinant Escherichia coli . Appl Biochem Biotechnol 170, 1336–1347 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12010-013-0257-4

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