Fermentation strategy for the production of poly(3-hydroxyhexanoate) by Aeromonas sp. KC014

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate) (P(3HB-co-3HHx)) was produced by Aeromonas sp. KC014 strain isolated from Taiwan in soil environment in the flask and fermentor cultures. The medium optimization, such as carbon source and nitrogen source, carbon-nitrogen ratio was conducted to obtain the optimum 3-hydroxyhexanoate content. The defined medium with dodecanoic acid as the carbon source and (NH4)(2)SO4 as the nitrogen source was obtained as the main medium. When cells grown in medium containing 30 g/L dodecanoic acid, 15 g/L sodium gluconate and I g/L soytone (C/N was 30/1) as final PHA concentration, the cell dry weight and HB content of 5.16 g/L, 14.0 g/L and 36.0%, respectively, were obtained. The maximum HHx/PHA content increased from 0.1% to 1.3% nearly 12-fold when the dissolved oxygen was decreased front 40% to 20%. P(3HB-co-3HHx) biosynthesis was triggered by the addition of limited nitrogen, phosphorus and magnesium to get a maximum HHx/PHA content of 14% in 95 hours.