Accumulation of poly[(R)-3-hydroxyalkanoates] in Enterobacter cloacae SU-1 during growth with two different carbon sources in batch culture.

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are polymers of hydroxyalkanoate, which are accumulated by many bacteria as food storage material under excess carbon source and limited nitrogen source. In our study, Enterobacter cloacae SU-1 isolated from the rhizospheric soil of Arachis hypogea was allowed to grow as batch culture in minimal media containing either glucose or lactose, and the pattern of PHA accumulation by E. cloacae SU-1 was studied. E. cloacae SU-1 was found to accumulate 94% of PHA/dry weight of the organism in 8 g/l lactose-containing medium. When the monomeric units of PHA of E. cloacae SU-1 was analyzed by gas chromatography, it was also found to accumulate medium chain length PHA 3-hydroxyoctanoate (3HO)/3-hydroxyhexanoate (3HH) in the presence of glucose and lactose, but the ratio of these monomers differed as 11:1 and 6:1, respectively.