Patent ID: 7056708

Claim:
A method of producing polyhydroxyalkanoate by using microorganisms, the method comprising culturing microorganisms capable of producing polyhydroxyalkanoate in a medium containing at least one starting compound selected from the group consisting of substituted alkanes represented by formula (1) to produce polyhydroxyalkanoate having in its molecule at least one unit selected from the group consisting of 3-hydroxy-substituted alkanoate units represented by formula (2): R—(CH 2 ) n —CH 2 —CH 2 —CH 3 (1) wherein R represents a residue containing a substituted aromatic ring, and n represents any integer of 1 to 8; wherein R represents a residue containing a substituted aromatic ring, and n represents any integer of 1 to 8; wherein in formulas (1) and (2), a residue R containing a substituted aromatic ring is at least one selected from the group consisting of substituted phenylsulfanyl residues represented by formula (3): wherein R1 represents a substituent of an aromatic ring, and is selected from a H atom, a halogen atom, a CN group, a NO 2 group, a CH 3 group, a C 2 H 5 group, a CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 group, a (CH 3 ) 2 CH group, and a (CH 3 ) 3 C group, and the group consisting of (substituted-phenylmethyl)sulfanyl residues represented by formula (4): wherein R2 represents a substituent of an aromatic ring, and is selected from a H atom, a halogen atom, a CN group, a NO 2 group, a CH 3 group, a C 2 H 5 group, a CH 3 CH 2 CH 2 group, a (CH 3 ) 2 CH group, and a (CH 3 ) 3 C group.