Production of polyhydroxybutyrate by the marine photosynthetic bacterium Rhodovulum sulfidophilum P5

The effects of different NaCl concentrations, nitrogen sources, carbon sources, and carbon to nitrogen molar ratios on biomass accumulation and polyhydroxybutyrate （PHB） production were studied in batch cultures of the marine photosynthetic bacterium Rhodovulum sulfidophilum P5 under aerobic-dark conditions. The results show that the accumulation of PHB in strain P5 is a growth-associated process. Strain P5 had maximum biomass and PHB accumulation at 2%-3% NaCl, suggesting that the bacterium can maintain growth and potentially produce PHB at natural seawater salinity. In the nitrogen source test, the maximum biomass accumulation （8.10±0.09 g/L） and PHB production （1.11±0.13 g/L and 14.62%±2.25% of the cell dry weight） were observed when peptone and ammonium chloride were used as the sole nitrogen source. NH~-N was better for PHB production than other nitrogen sources. In the carbon source test, the maximum biomass concentration （7.65±0.05 g/L） was obtained with malic acid as the sole carbon source, whereas the maximum yield of PHB （5.03±0.18 g/L and 66.93%± 1.69% of the cell dry weight） was obtained with sodium pyruvate as the sole carbon source. In the carbon to nitrogen ratios test, sodium pyruvate and ammonium chloride were selected as the carbon and nitrogen sources, respectively. The best carbon to nitrogen molar ratio for biomass accumulation （8.77±0.58 g/L） and PHB production （6.07±0.25 g/L and 69.25%±2.05% of the cell dry weight） was 25. The results provide valuable data on the production of PHB by R. sulfidophilum P5 and further studies are on-going for best cell growth and PHB yield.