2-Bromooctanoic acid (2-BrOA) specifically inhibits the formation of polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) in Pseudomonas fluorescens BM07 without any influence on the cell growth when grown on fructose (Lee et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4963-4974, 2...
2-Bromooctanoic acid (2-BrOA) specifically inhibits the formation of polyhydroxyalkanoic acid (PHA) in Pseudomonas fluorescens BM07 without any influence on the cell growth when grown on fructose (Lee et al., Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 67: 4963-4974, 2001). We extended our study to the structurally analogous medium-chain fatty acid, octanoic acid, and two phenyl-group-substituted carboxylic acids, 11-phenoxyundecanoic acid (11-POU) and 5-phenylvaleric acid (5-PV). When supplemented with 50 mM fructose, these carboxylic acids also suppressed the formation of PHA from fructose, the phenyl-group substituted acids showing a higher sensitivity, but instead their β-oxidation derived monomers were efficiently polymerized. Their conversion into PHA approached a maximum or saturation conversion at high acid substrate concentrations. Especially, the co-addition of 2-BrOA incorporated the β-oxidation derived monomers more effectively at low level of the acid substrate than at highly saturated suppressing level. The addition of 5 mM 2-BrOA to 2 mM 11-POU plus 50 mM fructose resulted in 100% conversion of the 11-POU into PHA. But at the substrate concentration exhibiting saturation (e.g., 5 mM for 11-POU) the effect was not significant over the range of 2-BrOA concentration up to 5 mM. These 2-BrOA-concentration dependent conversion data indicate that the acid substrate-derived inhibiting species bind to the same site as 2-BrOA does. In addition, the growth of the bacterium in a medium containing 20 mM 5-PV and 50 mM fructose resulted in poly(3-hydroxy-5-phenylvalerate) homopolymer, indicating a complete blocking of the monomer-precursor supplying originated from fructose throughout the cultivation. Thus it is suggested that 2-BrOA can be used for efficiently increasing the conversion of expensive substituted fatty acids into PHA.