Characterization of Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate Extracted from Different Bacteria.

Lundgren, D. G. (Syracuse University, Syracuse, N.Y.), R. Alper, C. Schnaitman and R. H. Marchessault. Characterization of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate extracted from different bacteria. J. Bacteriol. 89:245-251. 1965.-Poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) from different bacterial genera was studied with regard to its crystal structure, infrared absorption, intrinsic viscosity, and electron microscopy. All PHB samples precipitated from dilute chloroform solution gave identical X-ray diffractograms confirming uniformity of crystal structure, and uniformity of molecular structure, based on the similarity of the recorded infrared spectra, was also established. Crystal morphology was also similar, showing the reported "lath" shape structure for purified polymer from Bacillus cereus. Intrinsic viscosity ranged from 0.04 to 11.5 depending upon the polymer treatment; polymer molecular weights, based upon viscometry, could be estimated to range from 1,000 to 250,000. It is concluded that the same basic molecule is involved in all PHB present in the bacterial kindgom.