Metabolic pathway engineering in cotton: Biosynthesis of polyhydroxybutyrate in fiber cells

Alcaligenes eutrophus genes encoding the enzymes, β-ketothiolase (phaA), acetoacetyl-CoA reductase (phaB), and polyhydroxyalkanoate synthase (phaC) catalyze the production of aliphatic polyester poly-d-(−)-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) from acetyl-CoA. PHB is a thermoplastic polymer that may modify fiber properties when synthesized in cotton. Endogenous β-ketothiolase activity is present in cotton fibers. Hence cotton was transformed with engineered phaB and phaC genes by particle bombardment, and transgenic plants were selected based on marker gene, β-glucuronidase (GUS), expression. Fibers of 10 transgenic plants expressed phaB gene, while eight plants expressed both phaB and phaC genes. Electron microscopy examination of fibers expressing both genes indicated the presence of electron-lucent granules in the cytoplasm. High pressure liquid chromatography, gas chromatography, and mass spectrometry evidence suggested that the new polymer produced in transgenic fibers is PHB. Sixty-six percent of the PHB in fibers is in the molecular mass range of 0.6 × 106 to 1.8 × 106 Da. The presence of PHB granules in transgenic fibers resulted in measurable changes of thermal properties. The fibers exhibited better insulating characteristics. The rate of heat uptake and cooling was slower in transgenic fibers, resulting in higher heat capacity. These data show that metabolic pathway engineering in cotton may enhance fiber properties by incorporating new traits from other genetic sources. This is an important step toward producing new generation fibers for the textile industry.