Production of propylene oxide from propene by a methanotroph, Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b

Methane 자화성 세균 Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b에 의한 propene으로부터 propylene oxide의 생산

Whole cells of Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b, the obligate methylotroph, were used to produce propylene oxide from propane. This strain has methane monooxygenase, which catalyzes the conversion methane to methanol and can catalyze also the conversion propane to propylene oxide. Optimal condition for the production of propylene oxide was investigated in resting-whole cell system. The optimal pH and temperature was 7.0 and $35^{\circ}C$ respectively. The end product, propylene oxide, didn't inhibit the production of propylene oxide and was not further metabolized in reaction mixture. The addition of methane metabolites (methanol, formaldehde and formic acid) to the reaction mixture stimulated formation of propylene oxide by $3{\sim}4$ times, and methanol was the most effective especially. Under the optimal conditions, the 14.2 mM of propylene oxide was produced after incubation of 60 min. and the conversion ratio of propane to propylene oxide was approximately 8%.

Propene으로부터 propylene oxide를 생산하기 위하여, methane 자화성 세균인 Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b를 이용하였다. 이 균주는 methane을 methanol로 전환시키는 methane monooxygenase를 가지고 있는데, 이 효소는 또한 propene을 propylene oxide로 전환시킬 수 있다. 이 균주의 휴지세포를 이용하여 propene으로부터 propylene oxide 생산의 최적조건을 검토하였다. 최적 pH는 7.0이었으며, 최적온도는 $35^{\circ}C$이었다. 최종산물인 propylene oxide는 propylene oxide의 생산반응을 저해하지 않았으며, 더 이상 대사되지도 않았다. Methane 대사중간물질들(methanol, formaldehyde, formic acid)의 첨가는 propylene oxide의 생산을 $3{\sim}4$배 증가시켰으며, 특히 methanol 첨가의 경우에 가장 좋은 효과를 보였다. 상기의 최적조건하에서, 1시간 반응시 propylene oxide의 최대 생산량은 14.2 mM이었으며, 이 때 공급한 propene으로부터 propylene oxide로의 전환율은 약 8.0%이었다.