Patent ID: 6649380
Filing Date: 2003-11-18
Classification: C08G,C12P,Y10S

Abstract:
A method for controlling the molecular weight of a polyhydroxyalkanoate containing at least one of a 3-hydroxy-&ohgr;-substituted alkanoic acid unit represented by Chemical Formula (1): (in the above formula, m is an integer selected from the numerical range shown with the Chemical Formula; R1 is a residue having a ring structure of any one selected from the group consisting of a phenyl structure and a thienyl structure; and in the presence of plural units, m and R1 are selected independently for the respective units), and a 3-hydroxy-&ohgr;-cyclohexylalkanoic acid unit represented by Chemical Formula (2): (in the above formula, R2 denotes a substituent on the cyclohexyl group selected from the group consisting of H atom, CN, NO2, halogen atom, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, CF3, C2F5 and C3F7; k is an integer selected from the numerical range shown with the Chemical Formula; and in the presence of plural units, k and R2 are selected independently for the respective units), wherein a microorganism is cultivated, in the presence of a hydroxyl group-containing compound, which is capable of producing the polyhydroxyalkanoate containing at least one of the units represented by Chemical Formula (1) or (2) from an &ohgr;-substituted alkanoic acid represented by Chemical Formula (3): (in the above formula, q is an integer selected from the numerical range shown with the Chemical Formula; R3 is a residue having a ring structure of any one selected from the group consisting of a phenyl structure and a thienyl structure; and in the presence of plural units, q and R3 are selected independently for the respective units), or &ohgr;-cyclohexylalkanoic acid represented by Chemical Formula (4): (in the above formula, R4 denotes a substituent on the cyclohexyl group selected from the group consisting of H atom, CN, NO2, halogen atom, CH3, C2H5, C3H7, CF3, C2F5 and C3F7; and r is an integer selected from the numerical range shown with the Chemical Formula; and in the presence of plural units, R4 and r are selected independently for the respective units).