Metabolic engineering of polyester-producing bacterium for establishment of efficient biosynthesis pathways of biopolyesters

2017 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25292058
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Partial Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Applied biochemistry
• Research Institution: Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Principal Investigator: FUKUI TOSHIAKI 東京工業大学, 生命理工学院, 教授 (80271542)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 折田 和泉 東京工業大学, 生命理工学院, 助教 (70525964)
• Research Collaborator: Insomphun Chayatip ; KAWASHIMA YUI ; Zhang Mengxiao
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2018-03-31
• Keywords: 生分解性プラスチック / バイオマスプラスチック / ポリヒドロキシアルカン酸 / Ralstonia eutropha / 代謝工学

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Bacterial polyhydroxyalkanoates has been attracted much attention as bio-based eco-friendly polymeric materials. This study focused on biosynthesis of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanote) from inexpensive biomass resources by engineered strains of Ralstonia eutropha. The biosynthesis from vegetable oils was improved by modification of beta-oxidation pathway, and an artificial pathway was established for the biosynthesis from structurally unrelated sugars. Metabolomic analysis was performed to obtain knowledge for the global metabolisms. Finally, the range of utilizable carbon sources by this bacterium was expanded by metabolic engineering. These results are expected to be useful for establishment of low-cost microbial production of PHAs with superior properties.

Free Research Field

微生物工学