Discovery of a mcl-PHA with unexpected biotechnical properties: the marine environment of French Polynesia as a source for PHA-producing bacteria

P Wecker (1) , X Moppert (2) , C Simon‑colin (3) , B Costa (2) , Veronique Berteaux-Lecellier (1)

1 CRIOBE - Centre de recherches insulaires et observatoire de l'environnement
2 Pacific Biotech
3 LM2E - Laboratoire de Microbiologie des Environnements Extrêmophiles

A library of microorganisms originating from various marine environments in French Polynesia was screened for polyhydroxyalkanoate producing bacteria. No significant connection was found between the geo‑ecological source of bacteria and their ability to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate. A bacterial strain designated as Enterobacter FAK 1384 was isolated from a shark jaw. When grown on coprah oil, this bacterium produces a PHA constituting of 62 mol % 3‑hydroxydecanoate and lower amount of 12 mol % 3‑hydroxydodecenoate and of 7.6 mol % 3‑hydroxydodecanoate. These interesting properties make this mcl‑PHA a good candidate for further exploitations in many industrial sectors, as in film and coating manufacturing, as well as for biomedical applications.

Mots clés: Polyhydroxyalkanoate; Marine biotechnology; Bacterial diversity; French Polynesia; Fermentation

Domaines: Microbiologie et Parasitologie

P Wecker, X Moppert, C Simon‑colin, B Costa, Veronique Berteaux-Lecellier. Discovery of a mcl-PHA with unexpected biotechnical properties: the marine environment of French Polynesia as a source for PHA-producing bacteria. AMB Express, 2015, ⟨10.1186/s13568-015-0163-y⟩. ⟨hal-01245794⟩