Dynamic accumulation and degradation of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate)s in living cells of Azotobacter vinelandii UWD characterized by ¹³C NMR

The synthesis and degradation of poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) (P(HB-co-HV)) by Azotobacter vinelandii UWD were investigated using natural abundance solution ¹³C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) in vivo in shake flask culture and in fermenter culture. The synthesis and the degradation of poly(3-hydroxyalkanoate)s (PHA) monomers hydroxybutyrate (HB) and hydroxyvalerate (HV) had different rates. The amount of HB and HV increased dramatically in the initial degradation stage. The results suggest that the intracellular PHA of strain UWD was the subject of dynamic metabolic processing. ¹³C NMR in vivo analysis provided a rapid, easy, accurate, non-destructive method to obtain valuable information on the metabolism of PHA. Copyright (C) 2000 Federation of European Microbiological Societies.