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Mutation in a "tesB-Like" Hydroxyacyl-Coenzyme A-Specific Thioesterase Gene Causes Hyperproduction of Extracellular Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2

Department of Environmental Microbiology, HZI-Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Braunschweig, Germany,¹ Institute of Microbiology, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany,² CSIC, Institute of Catalysis, Cantoblanco, Madrid, Spain,³ Institut für Molekulare Mikrobiologie und Biotechnologie, Westfälische Wilhelms Universität, Münster, Germany⁴

Received 20 August 2006/ Accepted 11 September 2006

A novel mutant of the marine oil-degrading bacterium Alcanivorax borkumensis SK2, containing a mini-Tn5 transposon disrupting a "tesB-like" acyl-coenzyme A (CoA) thioesterase gene, was found to hyperproduce polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), resulting in the extracellular deposition of this biotechnologically important polymer when grown on alkanes. The tesB-like gene encodes a distinct novel enzyme activity, which acts exclusively on hydroxylated acyl-CoAs and thus represents a hydroxyacyl-CoA-specific thioesterase. Inactivation of this enzyme results in the rechanneling of CoA-activated hydroxylated fatty acids, the cellular intermediates of alkane degradation, towards PHA production. These findings may open up new avenues for the development of simplified biotechnological processes for the production of PHA as a raw material for the production of bioplastics.

Published ahead of print on 22 September 2006.

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