BIOSYNTHESIS OF POLY(3-HYDROXYBUTYRIC ACID CO-3-HYDROXY-4-PENTENOIC ACID) FROM UNRELATED SUBSTRATES BY BURKHOLDERIA SP

From soil, two strains of Burkholderia sp. were isolated that synthesi zed and accumulated a copolyester of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 3-hydro xy-4-pentenoic acid from single, unrelated carbon sources such as surc ose or gluconate. Strain IPT77B, for instance, accumulated from glucon ate poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid co-3-hydroxy-4-pentenoic acid) up to 70 % (w/w) of the cellular dry matter, and 3-hydroxy-4-pentenoic acid con tributed up to 6.9 mol 100/mol constituents. The occurrence of the con stituent with the vinyl pendant group in the polyester was confirmed b y gas-chromatographic and nuclear magnetic resonance analysis.