ISOLATION AND H-1-NMR SPECTROSCOPIC IDENTIFICATION OF POLY(3-HYDROXYBUTANOATE) FROM PROKARYOTIC AND EUKARYOTIC ORGANISMS - DETERMINATION OF THE ABSOLUTE-CONFIGURATION (R) OF THE MONOMERIC UNIT 3-HYDROXYBUTANOIC ACID FROM ESCHERICHIA-COLI AND SPINACH

Trace amounts of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutanoate] were isolated from competent Escherichia coli, spinach, bovine serum albumin, beef heart mitochondria, and aortal tissues, all sources in which it is not accumulated as storage material. Its identity was in all cases proved by H-1-NMR spectroscopy. In some runs, the poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutanoate] isolated from competent E. coli also contained some 3-hydroxyvalerate, an observation confirmed by H-1-NMR spectroscopy and gas chromatography. The absolute configuration of the polymers isolated from E. coli and spinach was shown to be (all-R) by gas chromatography on chiral columns.