Enzymatic polymerization of (R)-3-hydroxyalkanoates by a bacterial polymerase

The in vitro synthesis of the homopolymers poly-(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) and poly-(R)-hydroxyvalerate (PHV), and of the random and block copolymers containing these two types of units, HB and HV, was performed using the purified, recombinant polymerase from Z. eturophus. All polymerization reactions were carried out in aqueous solutions by reacting the polymerase with the appropriate monomers, 3-hyroxyalkanoic acids. The monomer for the synthesis of PHB and the copolymers was (R)-3-hydroxybutyryl-coenzyme A, which was prepared by a combined chemical and enzymatic process, while the monomer for PHV and the copolymers, (R)-3-hydroxyvaleryl-coenzyme A was prepared by a different chemical process.