Production of Two- and Three-Component Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Luminous Bacteria… Продукция двух- и трехкомпонентных полигидроксиалканоатов светящимися бактериями рода Photobacterium А. <...> Свободный, 79 Исследована способность светящихся бактерий видов Photobacterium leiognathi Boisvert et al. и Photobacterium phosphoreum (Cohn) Beijerinck к синтезу полиэфиров гидроксикарбоновых кислот (полигидроксиалканоатов – ПГА) в качестве резервных макромолекул. <...> Introduction Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) – microbial reserve polymers of hydroxy fatty acids – are synthesized by microorganisms under unbalanced growth (e.g., in the presence of carbon source and under defi ciency of nitrogen or oxygen). <...> PHAs serve as energy store and help microorganisms survive under unfavorable conditions. <...> The greatest advantage of PHAs is that biosynthesis can yield polymers of various chemical structures, exhibiting different properties – from highcrystallinity thermoplastic polymers to rubberlike elastomers (Steinbьchel, 2003; Sudesh et al., 2000). <...> To increase PHA production and to create new types of PHAs, scientists isolate new PHA producers, modify culture conditions, and construct genetically modifi ed strains (Madison, Huisman, 1999; Volova, 2004). <...> Physiological features of bacterial strains and cultivation conditions affect the composition of monomer units, which is caused by the substrate specifi city of PHA-synthases (key enzymes of polymer biosynthesis) of different microorganisms. <...> As PHAs can vary in their composition, it would be expedient to search # 163 # Anatoly N. Boyandin. <...> Production of Two- and Three-Component Polyhydroxyalkanoates by Luminous Bacteria… for PHA producers among different bacterial strains. <...> Although there are more than 300 known PHA producers described in a number of fundamental reviews, no mention of luminous bacteria as potential producers of these macromolecules has been made. <...> However, as it has been reported by some researchers, luminous bacteria can synthesize some amounts of polyhydroxybutyrate, and biochemical processes of light generation and PHA accumulation involve the use of common metabolites (Miyamoto et al., 1998; Sun et al., 1994). <...> Fifteen strains were screened for their ability to synthesize PHAs: Table 1. <...> Screened strains of luminous bacteria Species Strain Photobacterium leiognathi 208 Seawater 231 Seawater 543 544 N.D. 554 Seawater 683 Photobacterium <...>