Direct Production of (R)-3-Hydroxybutyric Acid of High Optical Purity by Halomonas sp. OITC1261 Under Aerobic conditions.

The chiral compound (R)-3-hydroxybutyric acid (R-3HB) has some important physiological functions in the human body and can also be applied as a functional material for industrial products. A novel Halomonas sp. OITC1261 isolated from a coastal sediment is selected for efficient production of R-3HB. This strain secreted R-3HB of high optical purity into the extracellular medium while maintaining poly(3-hydroxybutyric acid) (PHB) inside the microbial cell under aerobic conditions. There is a possibility that R-3HB is generated independently of PHB. Under aerobic cultivation, 58 g L-1 (0.65 g L-1 h-1 ) of R-3HB was produced simultaneously with 27 g L-1 (0.30 g L-1 h-1 ) of PHB. This direct production method of R-3HB contributes to the improvement of mass production technology.