In Vitro Bioproduction of Specific Chain Legnth Poly(hydroxyalkanoate) Monomers
AssigneeKimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc.
InventorStephen Quirk
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Abstract
An enzymatic process and system are disclosed for producing homogeneous chain length poly hydroxyalkanoate monomers and/or polymers having a chain length of at least eight carbons from a long-chain fatty acid or precursor thereof. The process also results in specific homogenous chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate monomers and/or polymers. The long-chain fatty acid or precursor thereof can be contacted in vitro with an enzyme or a mixture of enzymes to produce the homogeneous chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate.
Claims25
An enzymatic process for producing homogeneous chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate monomers and/or polymers having a chain length of at least eight carbons comprising:
- contacting a long-chain fatty acid or precursor thereof, in vitro with an enzyme or a mixture of enzymes;
- and
- producing homogeneous chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate monomers and/or polymers having a chain length of at least eight carbons.
An uncharacterized polyhydroxyalkanoate comprising:
- a polyhydroxyalkanoate having a carbon chain length greater than C8, wherein the polyhydroxyalkanoate is a linear chain polymer substantially absent any side chain pendant polymers.
A process of producing homogeneous chain length polyhydroxyalkanoate monomers and/or polymers having a chain length of at least eight carbons comprising:
- contacting a long-chain fatty acid with a long chain fatty acid CoA ligase/synthetase to obtain a long-chain fatty acid acyl-CoA;
- contacting the long-chain fatty acid acyl-CoA with a long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, followed by a long-chain-enoyl-CoA hydratase, followed by a hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase or a long-chain-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase to obtain a long-chain acetoacetyl-CoA;
- and
- contacting a long-chain acetoacetyl-CoA with an acetoacetyl-CoA reductase to obtain a hydroxyacyl-CoA for polymerization into a polyhydroxyalkanoate.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.