Production of 3-Hydroxypropionic Acid from Acrylic Acid by Newly Isolated Rhodococcus erythropolis LG12

A novel microorganism, designated as LG12, was isolated from soil based on its ability to use acrylic acid as the sole carbon source. An electron microscopic analysis of its morphological characteristics and phylogenetic classification by 16S rRNA homology showed that the LG12 strain belongs to Rhodococcus erythropolis. R. erythropolis LG12 was able to metabolize a high concentration of acrylic acid (up to 40 g/l). In addition, R. erythropolis LG12 exhibited the highest acrylic acid-degrading activity among the tested microorganisms, including R. rhodochrous, R. equi, R. rubber, Candida rugosa, and Bacillus cereus. The effect of the culture conditions of R. erythropo/is LG12 on the production of 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3HP) from acrylic acid was also examined. To enhance the production of 3HP, acrylic acid-assimilating activity was induced by adding 1 mM acrylic acid to the culture medium when the cell density reached an $OD_{600}$ of 5. Further cultivation of R. erythropo/is LG 12 with 40 g/l of acrylic acid resulted in the production of 17.5 g/l of 3HP with a molar conversion yield of 44% and productivity of 0.22 g/l/h at $30^{\circ}C$ after 72 h.