• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.6 no.5
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• pp.309-314
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• 1996

Alcaligenes sp. SH-69 can synthesize poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) from a single carbon source such as glucose. To clone the phaC gene from Alcaligenes sp. SH-69, a polymerase chain reaction was performed using the oligomers synthesized based on the conserved regions of the phaC genes from other bacteria. A PCR product (550 bp) was partially sequenced and the deduced amino acid sequence was found to be homologous to that of the phaC gene from Alcaligenes eutrophus. Using the PCR fragment Southern blotting of Alcaligenes sp. SH-69 genomic DNA digested with several restriction enzymes was carried out. To prepare a partial genomic library, about 5-Kb genomic DNA fragments digested with EcoRI, which showed a positive signal in the Southern blotting, were eluted from an agarose gel, ligated with pUC19 cleaved with EcoRI, and transformed into Escherichia coli. The partial library was screened using the PCR fragment as a probe and a plasmid, named pPHA11, showing a strong hybridization signal was selected. Restriction mapping of the insert DNA in pPHA11 was performed. Cotransformation into E. coli of the plasmid pPHA11 and the plasmid pPHA21 which has phaA and phaB from A. eutrophus resulted in turbid E. coli colonies which are indicative of PHA accumulation. This result tells us that the Alcaligenes sp. SH-69 phaC gene in the pPHA11 is functionally active in E. coli and can synthesize PHA in the presence of the A. eutrophus phaA and phaB genes.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.279-283
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• 1996

The weight average molecular weight of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) synthesized by Alcaligenes sp. SH-69 was altered between $3.2$\times$10^5$ and $1.1$\times$10^6$ depending upon various culture conditions. It appeared that culture conditions favorable for the efficient production of copolyesters promoted the formation of higher molecular weight copolyesters. Polydispersity indices of isolated copolyesters were in the range of 1.5 to 2.5.

• Journal of Microbiology
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.360-364
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• 1997

A ${\beta}$-ketothiolase was purified 180-fold from the cell extracts of Alcaligenes sp. SH-69 by a series of chromatography on DEAE-Dephadex A-50, Sephacryl S-200, and hydrozyapatitie columns, The optimum pH values of the partially purified enzyme were 7.5 for condensation reaction and 8.3 for thiolysis reaction were estimated to be 0.12mM and $18.7\;{\mu}M$, respectively. The $K_m$ valued for acetoacetyl-CoA and free CoASH in the thiolusis in the condensation reaction was 0.70mM. The condensation reaction of the ${\beta}$-ketothiolase was inhibited even by low concentrations of free CoASH($K_i=30.4{\mu}M$). Pretreatment of the enzyme with NADH and NADPH markedly inhibited the thiolysis reaction of the enzyme. The potent inhibition of the enzyme by sulfhydryl reagents suggests the involvement of cystein residue in the active site.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.34 no.4
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• pp.219-224
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• 1998

The cyclic metabolism of poly(3-hydroxyhutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) synthesized from glucose by Alcaligenes sp. SH-69 in the presence or absence of new carbon substrate was investigated. In batch culture, the content and weight average molecular weight of the copolymer already stored in the cell decreased rapidly when there was no other carbon source available. After the depletion of carbon source, the amount of high molecular weight copolymer decreased more rapidly than that of low molecular weight copolymer, and as a result, average molecular weight distribution shifted to the lower value. The addition of a mixture of glucose and levulinic acid when the initial carbon substrate, glucose, was nearly depleted supported the continual increase in cell mass and the accumulation of poly(3HB-co-3HV) with high molar fraction of 3HV. However, solvent fractionation of the polymer with acetone revealed the degradation of pre-existing polyhydroxyalkanoale (PHA) in parallel with the synthesis of PHA from new carbon substrate. Even though PHAs obtained from each substrate alone were the copolymer of 3HB and 3HV, it was found that the polymer accumulated in the cells grown by sequential feeding was mainly physical mixture of two poly(3HB-co-3HV) copolymers containing different molar fractions of 3HV.