Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology – Micro-organism – tissue cell culture or enzyme using process... – Preparing oxygen-containing organic compound
Patent
1992-11-25
2000-06-27
Lilling, Herbert J.
Chemistry: molecular biology and microbiology
Micro-organism, tissue cell culture or enzyme using process...
Preparing oxygen-containing organic compound
435244, 4352521, 435829, C12P 762, C12N 138, C12N 120
Patent
active
060805625
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This invention relates to a process for the production of HV/HB copolymers and for microorganisms for use in such a process.
Conventionally the production of a copolymer containing monomer units of both 3-hydroxybutyrate, herein denoted as HB, and 3-hydroxyvalerate, herein denoted as HV, requires the microorganism to be cultivated on a substrate containing propionic acid, or another compound from which the microorganism can synthesise the HV monomer units. Usually, the microorganism is unable to synthesise HV monomer units directly from glucose.
In copending European Patent Application No. 90304267.9 it has been shown that certain strains of the species Rhodococcus are able to synthesise both HV and HB monomer units from glucose, thereby producing and accumulating HV/HB copolymers.
We have discovered that those strains of the species Rhodococcus capable of producing, and accumulating, HV/HB copolymers have the characteristic that they overproduce at least one amino acid, specifically at least one of methionine and preferably isoieucine or valine, and that these overproduced amino acids are metabolised to propionyl CoA, and thence to the required HV monomer units.
It is also known that certain strains of specific species of the coryneform group of microorganisms, e.g. Corynebacterium glutamicum, are able to be used industrially to produce amino acids by fermentation.
We have found a general method for the preparation of microorganisms capable of producing, and accumulating, HV/HB copolymers which comprises providing within a suitable microorganism the ability to overproduce at least one of isoleucine, methionine and valine. Such microorganisms may then be used in a general microbiclogical process for the production of HV/HB copolymers, when provided with suitable substrate for example comprising glucose, or a compound metabolisable to glucose.
The invention comprises a method of producing a microorganism capable of sythesizing HV/HB copolymer when cultivated on a substrate containing a component from which the microorganism can synthesise both HV and HB monomer units from a first microorganism which is capable of metabolising the substrate to acetyl CoA and is also capable of degrading an amino acid selected from methionine, valine and isoleucine to propionyl CoA which method comprises when said first microorganism is capable of synthesising and polymerising HB monomer units when cultivated on said substrate but is not capable of amino acid overproduction, inducing overproduction of said amino acid in said first microorganism, and when said first microorganism is not capable of synthesising and polymerising HB monomer units when cultivated on said substrate but is capable of overproducing said amino acid, transferring to said first microorganism the genetic information necessary for it to synthesise and polymerise HB monomer units when cultivated on said substrate from a second microorganism, said second microorganism being capable of producing and accumulating HB homopolymer when cultivated on said substrate
We also provide a method of producing a microorganism capable of synthesising HV/HB copolymer when cultivated on a substrate containing a component from which the microorganism can synthesise both HV and HB monomer units, said component being glucose, fructose, acetate, a lactate or ethanol or a substrate metabolisable thereto from a first microorganism which method comprises when said first microorganism is capable of synthesising and polymerising HB monomer units when cultivated on said substrate and degrading an amino acid to propionyl CoA, but is not capable of overproducing said amino acid selected from methionine valine and isoleucine, inducing overproduction of said amino acid in said first microorganism, and when said first microorganism is not capable of synthesising and polymerising HB monomer units when cultivated on said substrate but is capable of overproducing said amino acid and degrading it to propionyl CoA transferring to said first microorganism the genetic information necessary for i
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patent: 4876331 (1989-10-01), Doi
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Byrom David
Steinbuchel Alexander
Beusen, Esq. Jon H.
Lilling Herbert J.
Monsanto Company
Simon Howrey
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