Luminous Bacteria as Producers of Polyhydroxyalkanoates

The study addresses the ability of luminous bacteria of different taxa ( Photobacterium leiognathi, Photobacterium phosphoreum, Vibrio harveyi, Vibrio fischeri) to synthesize polyesters of hydrocarbon acids (polyhydroxyalkanoates, PHAs) as storage macromolecules. The screened strains widely varied in their PHA productivity. Conditions for attaining high polymer yields (including two‐ and three‐component polymers) in batch culture have been determined. The attained polymer yields reached 40‐70% of dry cell biomass. The results suggest a conclusion that luminous microorganisms can be considered as producers of multi‐component PHAs.