High molecular weight pha-producing microbe and method of producing high molecular weight pha using same

2:

• The method according to claim 1,
• wherein at least a portion of an additional PHA degrading enzyme gene of the microorganism has been altered by at least one of substitution, deletion, insertion, and addition.

5:

• The method according to claim 1,
• wherein the microorganism belongs to the genus Cupriavidus.

6:

• The method according to claim 5,
• wherein the microorganism is Cupriavidus necator.

7:

• The method according to claim 1,
• wherein the PHA copolymer comprises units derived from 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid.

8:

• The method according to claim 1,
• wherein the culturing comprises culturing the microorganism in the presence of a carbon source which comprises a fat/oil including a free fatty acid at a content of at least 50%.

9:

• The method according to claim 8,
• wherein the free fatty acid includes palmitic acid at a content of 40 to 60%.

13:

• The microorganism according to claim 10,
• wherein the microorganism belongs to the genus Cupriavidus.

14:

• The microorganism according to claim 13,
• wherein the microorganism is Cupriavidus necator.

15:

• The method according to claim 2, wherein the additional PHA degrading enzyme gene is either
• (c′) a PHA degrading enzyme gene encoding an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:19, or
• (d′) a gene encoding a polypeptide having at least 85% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:19 and having PHA degrading enzyme activity.

16:

• The method according to claim 2, wherein the additional PHA degrading enzyme gene comprises
• the PHA degrading enzyme gene encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:17 and the PHA degrading enzyme gene encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:19, or
• the gene encoding the polypeptide having at least 85% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:17 and having PHA degrading enzyme activity, and the gene encoding the polypeptide having at least 85% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:19 and having PHA degrading enzyme activity.

17:

• The microorganism according to claim 10, wherein the additional PHA degrading enzyme gene is either
• (c′) a PHA degrading enzyme gene encoding an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:19, or
• (d′) a gene encoding a polypeptide having at least 85% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:19 and having PHA degrading enzyme activity.

18:

• The microorganism according to claim 10, wherein the additional PHA degrading enzyme gene comprises
• the PHA degrading enzyme gene encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:17 and the PHA degrading enzyme gene encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID No:19, or
• the gene encoding the polypeptide having at least 85% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:17 and having PHA degrading enzyme activity, and the gene encoding a polypeptide having at least 85% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:19 and having PHA degrading enzyme activity.

19:

• The method according to claim 2, wherein the microorganism is a microorganism into which a PHA synthase gene encoding the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:15, or the gene encoding the polypeptide having at least 85% sequence identity to the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:15 and having PHA synthase activity, has been introduced.

20:

• The method according to claim 8, wherein the free fatty acid includes palmitic acid at a content of 45 to 55%.