• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.186-192
• /
• 1991

It is very important to have a good kinetic model which considers the effects of both ammonium and glucose for the control and optimization of the poly-${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) fermentation. A kinetic model for the growth of Alcaligenes eutrophus and the biosynthesis of PHB under both ammonium and glucose limitation was proposed. Growth rate of residual biomass was expressed as a function of concentrations of residual biomass, glucose and ammonium having glucose inhibition. PHB production rate was expressed as a function of concentrations of residual biomass, glucose, ammonium and PHB content having ammonium and product inhibitions. Novel approaches were made to estimate the parameters in the model equations which considered two limiting substrates. Model parameters were evaluated by graphical and simplex methods. The proposed kinetic model fitted the data very well.

• The Korean Journal of Ecology
• /
• v.21 no.3
• /
• pp.277-282
• /
• 1998

The microbial degradation of $poly-{\beta}-hydroxybutyrate$ (PHB) films was studied in soil microco는 incubated at a constant temperature of 2, 10, 20, 30 and $40^{\circ}C$ for up to 49 days. The degradation rate measured through loss of weight was enhanced by incubation at a higher temperature. At the soil temperature $40^{\circ}C$, $poly-{\beta}-hydroxybutyrate$ was rapidly degraded at a decay rate of 3.5% weight loss per day. The degradation of $poly-{\beta}-hydroxybutyrate$ did not affected significantly the chemical properties of soils such as pH and electric conductivity. However, microbial activity of soil in terms of dehydrogenase activity was increased by the degradation of $poly-{\beta}-hydroxybutyrate$.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.120-127
• /
• 1996

The characteristics of cell growth and poly-$\beta$-hydroxybutyrate biosynthesis of Alcaligenes latus ATCC 29713 were investigated. The PHB accumulation pattern of A. latus followed a growth-associated type where the cell growth and PHB accumulation were carried out simultaneously. Various intermediate compounds such as metabolites involved in the TCA cycle, amino acids, and saturated and unsaturated fatty acids were added to examine their effect on cell growth and PHB accumulation. Citrate, tyrosine, and palmitic acid showed the most significant increase both on cell growth and PHB accumulation. Maximum PHB concentrations were noticeably increased about 1.4 to 1.6 times higher than that of control, corresponding to 5.54, 6.45, and 6.45 g/l for citrate, tyrosine, and palmitic acid, respectively. The stimulatory effects of the supplemented metabolites were analyzed in terms of the increment of enzyme activities related to sugar catabolism and PHB biosynthesis.

• 한국생물공학회:학술대회논문집
• /
• 2000.11a
• /
• pp.175-178
• /
• 2000

Biodegradability of the $poly({\beta}-hydroxybutyrate-co-3 -hydroxyvalerate)$ [PHB/V] containing 0, 10 and 15mol% hydroxyvalerate [HV] was studied. Bioderadability of PHB/V was evaluated at $30^{\circ}C$ for 58 days and $55^{\circ}C$ for 33 days by monitoring the time-dependent changes in weight loss(erosion) of aerobic conditions in a temperature-controlled microcosms containing the earthworm cast($30^{\circ}C$) and compost ($55^{\circ}C$). It was found that PHB/V biodegradability occurred with increasing HV monomer concentration from 0 mol% to 15 mol%.

• Textile Coloration and Finishing
• /
• v.7 no.1
• /
• pp.51-57
• /
• 1995

Poly-$\beta$-hydroxybutyrate(PHB) was biosynthesized using Alcaligenes sp. FL-027. Alcaligenes sp. FL-027 was cultivated by fed-batch methods, in order to promote cell growth and PHB accumulation with carbon source. The cells were first grown at 3$0^{\circ}C$ on the fermentor. The structure of biosynthesized PHB is investigated by the NMR, IR. The crystalline portions were identified through the use of DSC and X-ray diffractometer. The melting point was about 16$0^{\circ}C$ and the diffraction peaks of (020) and (110) were shown at 13$^{\circ}$ and 17$^{\circ}$, respectively.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.5 no.4
• /
• pp.238-240
• /
• 1995

A novel and simple purification method for microbial $poly-{\beta}-hydroxybutyrate$ (PHS) was developed. Sodium hydroxide was found to be efficient for digesting cell materials. Initial biomass concentration, NaOH concentation, digestion time, and incubation temperature were optimized. When 40 g/l of biomass was incubated in 0.1 N NaOH at $30^{\circ}C$ for 1 h, PHB purity of 88.4% with a weight average molecular weight ($M_w$) of 770,000 and a polydispersity index (PI) of 2.4 was recovered with a yield of 90.8% from the biomass which initially contained PHB of a $M_w$ of 780,000 and a PI of 2.3.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.344-351
• /
• 1996

Microorganisms growing alcoholic distillery wastes were isolated from soil. Of them, the selected strain EL-9 had a capability of accumulating poly-$\beta$-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) when grown in alcoholic distillery wastes. The strain EL-9 was identified as a genus Actinobacillus based on the morphological, cultural, and biochemical characteristics. The strain EL-9 was named temporarily as Actino- bacillus sp. EL-9. The optimal temperature and pH for cell growth of Actinobacillus sp. EL-9 were 30$\circ$C and 7.0, respectively. The optimal medium compositions for cell growth comprised glucose 2%, NH$_{4}$NO$_{3}$ 0.15%, Na$_{2}$HP0$_{4}$-12H$_{2}$O 0.25%, KH$_{2}$PO$_{4}$ 0.25%, MgSO$_{4}$4-7H$_{2}$O 0.15%, FeSO$_{4}$-7H$_{2}$O 0.005%, CaCl$_{2}$-2H$_{2}$O 0.003% and trace element solution 5m/l. To investigate the optimal conditions for PHB production, two-stage culture technique was used. The result showed that the optimal conditions for PHB production are identical those for cell growth. When propionic acid was added as a cosubstrate, PHB/HV copolymer was produced.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.13 no.3
• /
• pp.477-481
• /
• 2003

The community escape response of Rhodobacter sphaeroides is exerted through the action of CerR and CerI, which code for a LuxR-type regulatory protein and acylhomoserine lactone synthase, respectively. Deletion of chromosomal DNA including cerR and cerI (mutant RI) or insertional interruption of cert (mutant AP3) resulted in two-fold increase in the cellular poly-${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) content In comparison with the wild-type under aerobic growth conditions. The PHB synthase (PhbC) activities of the cer mutants were doubled, and the enzyme expression was regulated at the level of phbC transcription. Thus, CerR, possibly in response to autoinducer (AI), appears to modulate the PHB content of aerobically grown cells by downregulating phbC transcription.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
• /
• v.24 no.3
• /
• pp.352-356
• /
• 1996

Alcoholic distillery wastes are utilized as dual purposes to produce PHB in lower production cost and to reduce the amount of waste to be treated. In this study, various attempts were made to increase PHB production under various conditions by Actinobacillus sp. EL-9 in a shaker culture. The addition of glucose, NH$_{4}$NO$_{3}$ to alcoholic distillery wastes slightly promoted cell mass and PHB production. Enzyme hydrolysis of alcoholic distillery wastes increased the production of PHB than that of untreated waste and acid hydrolysis treatment. The PHB weight in alcoholic distillery wastes was 1.91 g/l. Fermentation process of PHB production reduced the amount of COD value up to 54%, which reduced organic loading rate and capacity of activated sludge system.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
• /
• v.9 no.2
• /
• pp.140-146
• /
• 1999

When methanol was the sole carbon source, Methylobacterium organophilum NCIB 11278, a facultative methylotroph, accumulated Poly-$\beta$-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) as 59% (w/w) of dry cell weight under potassium limitation, 37% under sulfate limitation, and 33% under nitrogen limitation. Based on a stoichiometric analysis of PHB synthesis from methanol, it was suspected that PHB synthesis is accompanied by the overproduction of energy, either 6-10 ATP and 1 $FADH_2$ or 6 ATP and 3 NADPH to balance the NADH requirement, per PHB monomer. This was confirmed by observation of increased intracellular ATP levels during PHB accumulation. The intracellular ATP with limited potassium, sulfate, and ammonium increased to 0.185, 0.452, and 0.390 $\mu$moles ATP/g Xr (residual cell mass) during PHB accumulation, respectively. The intracellular ATP level under potassium limitation was similar to that when there was no nutrient limitation and no PHB accumulation, 0.152- 0.186 $\mu$moles ATP/g Xr. We propose that the maximum PHB accumulation observed when potassium was limited is a result of the energy balance during PHB accumulation. Microorganisms have high energy requirements under potassium limitation. Enhanced PHB accumulation, in ammonium and sulfate limited conditions with the addition of 2,4-dinitrophenol, which dissipates surplus energy, proves this assumption. With the addition of 1 mM of 2,4-dinitrophenol, the PHB content increased from 32.4% to 58.5% of dry cell weight when nitrogen limited and from 15.1 % to 31.0% of dry cell weight when sulfate limited.