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Distribution of Poly(β-propiolactone) Aerobic Degrading Microorganisms in Different Environments

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Abstract

The distribution of degading microorganisms of high molecular weight poly(β-propiolactone) (PPL), whose individual structural units are similar to those of poly(β-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(€-caprolactone) (PCL), was examined. Despite the fact that PPL is a chemosynthetic polymer, many kinds of PPL-degrading microorganisms were found to be distributed as resident populations widely in natural environments. A total of 77 strains of PPL-degrading microorganisms was isolated. From standard physiological and biochemical tests, at least 41 strains were referred to as Bacillus species. Microbial degradation of fibrous PPL proceeded rapidly in some enrichment cultures but was not as complete as that of PHB. Most of the isolated PPL-degrading microorganisms were determined to be PCL degraders and/or PHB degraders. Therefore, it can be assumed that mostly PPL is recognized by the microorganisms as PHB or another natural substrate of the same type as which PCL is regarded. Microbial degradation of PPL was confirmed by some Bacillus strains from type culture collections. The similarity of microbial degradation between PPL and PCL was found to be very close.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Tsukuba Research Laboratory, Tokuyama Corp., 40 Wadai Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 300-4247, Japan

    Haruo Nishida & Sayuri Suzuki

  2. National Institute of Bioscience and Human-Technology, 1-1, Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki, 305-0046, Japan

    Yutaka Tokiwa

Authors
  1. Haruo Nishida
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  2. Sayuri Suzuki
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  3. Yutaka Tokiwa
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Nishida, H., Suzuki, S. & Tokiwa, Y. Distribution of Poly(β-propiolactone) Aerobic Degrading Microorganisms in Different Environments. Journal of Polymers and the Environment 6, 43–58 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022878512743

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1022878512743

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