Poly-
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
-hydroxybutyrate (
PHB) biosynthesis in
Ralstonia eutropha from gluconate asa carbon source is carried out through the Entner-Doudoroff (ED) pathway and thepentose-phosphate (PP) pathway generating NADPH and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphatethat flows to acetyl-CoA, actively in the unbalanced PHB accumulation phase. The
gnd gene encoding 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6
PGDH) and the
tktA geneencoding the transketolase (TK) in PP pathway of
E. coli were transformed into
R.eutropha H16 to modify the metabolic flux of gluconate to the PHB biosynthesis. Over-generated NADPH by the amplified
gnd gene tended to depress the cell growth andPHB concentration. Meanwhile, the amplified
tktA gene significantly increased bothPHB biosynthesis and cell growth as a result of the effective flow of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate into acetyl-CoA along with the concomitant supplementation of NADPH.The amplified
tktA gene also activated the enzyme activities directly associated withPHB biosynthesis. The transformant
R. eutropha harboring
tktA gene was cultivatedusing pH-stat-fed-batch to achieve the overproduction of PHB.