Sequential production of two different polyesters in the inclusion bodies of Pseudomonas oleovorans

When Pseudomonas oleovorans was grown on a mixture of 5-phenylvaleric acid, PVA, and nonanoic acid, NA, the reserve polyester produced included both a homopolymer and a copolymer. The homopolymer poly-3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate, PHPV, contained only 3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate units, while the copolymer contained the same long chain 3-hydroxyalkanoates as those present in the copolymer poly-3-hydroxynonanoate, PHN, which is produced from nonanoic acid alone. The intracellular location of each of these polymers was determined by selective staining of the inclusion body granules with ruthenium tetraoxide and examination by transmission electron microscopy showed that both types of polyesters occurred in the same granule. PHN was present in the center of the granule, while PHPV accumulated around the PHN in the inclusion body. The proteins associated with the inclusion bodies were separated using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). In all cases, two different polymerase enzymes of molecular weight 59 and 55 KDa were present, indicating that the same polymerase enzyme system was responsible for the production of both PHN and PHPV. Attempts were made to produce a random copolymer containing both alkyl and phenylalkyl repeat units by varying the growth conditions, but a mixture of PHN and PHPV was always produced instead.