Use of Transgenic Plants Producing Poly[(R)-3-Hydroxyalkanoate], for Monitoring (R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA.

Abstract

Various microorganisms produce biodegradable polyester, Poly[(R)-3-hydroxyalkanoate] (PHA). Since PHAs accumulate without being degraded by plant metabolism in the tissues where they are synthesized, we made use of short-chain-length (SCL)- PHA and medium-chain-length (MCL)-PHA production systems for investigating the metabolisms of SCL and MCL (R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA in plant cells.
SCL-PHA synthase gene of Aeromonas caviae FA440 and MCL-PHA synthase gene of Pseudomonas sp. 61-3 were modified by adding a targeting signals of peroxisome or mitochondrion. The modified genes were introduced into Arabidopsis plants by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The transgenic Arabidopsis plants expressed the introduced genes in tissues. Analyses of (R)-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA metabolisms were performed by measuring PHA accumulation.