Expression of Aeromonas caviae polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase gene in Burkholderia sp USM (JCM15050) enables the biosynthesis of SCL-MCL PHA from palm oil products

Aims: Burkholderia sp. USM (JCM15050) isolated from oil-polluted wastewater is capable of utilizing palm oil products and glycerol to synthesize poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) [P(3HB)]. To confer the ability to produce polymer containing 3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HHx), plasmid (pBBREE32d13) harbouring the polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthase gene of Aeromonas caviae (phaCAc) was transformed into this strain. Methods and Results: The resulting transformant incorporated approximately 1 +/- 0.3 mol% of 3HHx in the polymer when crude palm kernel oil (CPKO) or palm kernel acid oil was used as the sole carbon source. In addition, when the transformed strain was cultivated in the mixtures of CPKO and sodium valerate, PHA containing 69 mol% 3HB, 30 mol% 3-hydroxyvalerate and 1 mol% 3HHx monomers was produced. Batch feeding of carbon sources with 0.5% (v/v) CPKO at 0 h and 0.25% (w/v) sodium valerate at 36 h yielded 6 mol% of 3HHx monomer by controlled-feeding strategies. Conclusions: Burkholderia sp. USM (JCM15050) has the metabolic pathways to supply both the short-chain length (SCL) and medium-chain length (MCL) PHA monomers. By transforming the strain with the Aer. caviae PHA synthase with broader substrate specificity, SCL-MCL PHA was produced.