Cloning and heterologous expression of genes responsible for synthesis of polyhydroxybutyrato em Bradyrhizobium elkanii / Clonagem e expressão heterologa dos genes responsaveis pela sintese de polihidroxibutirato em Bradyrhizobium elkanii

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2009

RESUMO

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polymers of hydroxyalkanoate acids, produced and accumulated intracellularly as a source of carbon and energy storage material, in prokaryotic cells. Often, the PHAs accumulation occurs in conditions when the carbon source is in excess but one or several other nutrients are limited, and may represent up to 80% of the cell dry weight. More than 300 different microorganisms can synthesize and accumulate PHAs. The polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) is the most studied polymer among the bacterial biodegradable polymers (PHAs). By having properties similar to polypropylene, PHB can be used in the manufacture of biodegradable plastic. On the search for greater production of such polymer, little is known about its biological role, especially in the genus Rhizobium. Studies have shown that there is a variation in the PHB capacity production and accumulation when these bacteria are in symbiosis. Depending on the species and cultivation conditions it has been observed either incapacity of PHB production and accumulation, when Bacteroides, as Rhizobium meliloti; or capacity and accumulation of PHB under bacteroides fase, as Rhizobium etli, Bradyrhizobium japonicum and Bradyrhizobium elkanii. Therefore, the present work aimed the identification, cloning and expression, in Escherichia coli, of responsible genes for PHB synthesis in Bradyrhizobium elkanii. Moreover, it was also expected to increase the production of PHB in B. elkanii, through random mutations (insertion of the TnphoA transposon), since B. elkanii is a good natural producer of PHB. For this, the entier phbA, phbB and phbC genes were isolated by PCR. Those genes were cloned in expression vectors such pET (NOVAGEN), where phbA and phbB genes were cloned in operon, in a single vector, whereas phbC gene was cloned separately, in another vector. The expression of those genes was analyzed, as well as its ability to produce PHB. Mutants B. elkanii, obtained by insertion of the TnphoA transposon, were analyzed using the dye Sudan Black, in order to select different strains that might produce higher quantities of PHB. The production of PHB by mutants was then analyzed by gas chromatography. It was observed that the E. coli with the three cloned genes had the ability to produce PHB, but with low efficiency. The B. elkanii random mutants show different accumulation compared to the wild, especially MUT33 that had 72% of its dry mass accumulated in the form of PHB, while the wild 51% of accumulated PHB under the same conditions.

ASSUNTO(S)

plastico biodegradavel escherichia coli biodegradable plastics rhizobium escherichia coli poli-beta-hidroxibutirato poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate rizobio

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