BACTERIAL PRODUCTION OF POLY-3-HYDROXYALKANOATES CONTAINING ARYLALKYLSUBSTITUENT GROUPS

6-Phenylhexanoic acid (6PHxA), 7-phenylheptanoic acid (7PHpA), 9-pheny lnonanoic acid (9PNA), 11-phenylundecanoic acid (11PUA), 9-p-tolylnona noic acid (9TNA) and 9-p-styrylnonanoic acid (9SNA) were prepared and evaluated as substrates for cell growth and polyester production by Ps eudomonas oleovorans and Pseudomonas putida. P. putida was more effect ive than P. oleovorans for producing polyesters from these aromatic su bstrates. Poly-3-hydroxyalkanoates, PHAs, were obtained from 6PHxA, 7P HpA, 9PNA and 11PUA. The PHAs produced from all of these substrates co ntained mostly 3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate (H5PV) and 3-hydroxy-6-pheny lhexanoate (H6PHx) units. Polymer yields ranging from 3 to 47% of cell dry weight were obtained with molecular weights ranging from 156 000 to 37 000 and polydispersities from 2.3 to 2.9. Cofeeding of most of t hese substrates with nonanoic acid produced mixtures of two different PHAs with different glass transitions, one in the region of -8 to 12 d egrees C for the PHA with arylalkyl substituent groups, and one in the region of -14 to -35 degrees C for the PHA from nonanoic acid. The PH A from 9TNA also had a crystalline melting transition. Copyright (C) 1 996 Elsevier Science Ltd.