Analysis of metabolic flux applied to the biosynthesis of the biodegradable polymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P3HB) by Burkholderia sacchari.

• Grant number: 11/04454-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: October 01, 2011
• End date: September 30, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Microbiology
• Principal Investigator: Luiziana Ferreira da Silva
• Grantee: Débora Vieira Parrine Sant'Ana
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 12/17183-8 - Characterization of PHB production from waste materials using photosynthetic bacteria, BE.EP.MS

Abstract

Analysis of Metabolic Fluxes (AMF) is a very applicable tool when trying to analyze metabolic pathways to increase the efficiency of the biosynthesis of products of interest. The synthesis of biodegradable polymers, such as the family of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA), offers ideal conditions for the AFM, because in many situations the analysis is simplified, since the diverted flow of metabolites for the cell growth may be null due to limiting situations of nitrogen or phosphorous, and thus all the carbon is directed toward the synthesis of PHA as P3HB. By using 13C-labeled substrates, which are not radioactive, will be obtained polymers with different combinations of carbons marked and unmarked. Subsequent analysis of these compounds in the products of metabolism compared to the patterns of combination of carbon, according to the pathways used for the synthesis of polymer, may set the direction of carbon responsible for the production of PHB, calculating the percentage of deviations for the different metabolic pathways, providing, then, important data for future search of strains, generated by changes in processes and / or genes that are more efficient in converting the substrate into PHB. The species Burkholderia sacchari was chosen because it has a conversion efficiency of sucrose in PHB greater than 80% of theoretical values, although lower than the reference species Ralstonia eutropha, and has the great advantage of hydrolyzing directly sucrose, allowing the subtraction of an industrial step, compared to R. eutropha.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

SANT'ANA, Débora Vieira Parrine. Metabolic flux analysis applied to the biosynthesis of the biodegradable polymer poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (P3HB) produced by Burkholderia sacchari.. 2013. Master's Dissertation - Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB/SDI) São Paulo.