Production of Biodegradable Polyester by a Transgenic Tobacco.

The acetoacetyl-CoA reductase gene (phbB) of Ralstonia eutropha and the poly[(R)-(-)-3-hydroxyalkanoate] synthase gene (phaCAC) of Aeromonas caviae were introduced into tobacco plant by Agrobacterium mediated transformation method. The resulting transgenic tobacco expressed both introduced genes and the expression of these genes was confirmed by enzymatic analysis and western blotting. GC-MS analysis of the chloroform extract of tobacco leaves indicated that the transgenic plant produced biodegradable polyester, poly-[(R)-(-)-3-hydroxybutyrate]. GPC analysis indicated that the number-average molecular weights (Mn) and polydispersity (Mw/Mn) were 32,000 and 1.90, respectively.