人工改変ポリエステル合成系遺伝子群を導入した植物工場によるポリエステル生産

Polyhydroxyalkanoate

Polyhydroxyalkanoates(PHAs) are bacterial polyesters that can be an alternative to petroleum-derived plastics. Transgenic plants harboring PHA biosynthetic genes are capable of producing PHAs directly from atmospheric CO2. The properties of PHAs greatly depend on their monomer composition. Therefore, fine regulation of monomer composition is essential to the production of PHAs with the desired properties. In order to synthesize PHA copolymer in plants, the supply of monomers and the expression of PHA synthase (polymerizing enzyme) having a broad polymerizing capacity are required. We found that the engineered enzymes with enhanced activity and/or altered substrate specificity are functional in plant cells. This finding enabled us to produce PHA copolymer in transgenic plants.