Identification of Four Polyhydroxyalkanoate Structural Genes in Synechocystis cf. salina PCC6909: In silico Evidences

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are a class of bio-polymers naturally synthesized by cyanobacteria with the advantage of being alternative to petrochemical based plastic. Their versatile application in medical, agricultural and technical fields increased the market request, especially due to their environmental-friendly features. Cyanobacteria possess a high PHAs production potential not yet well known at the genetic and enzymatic level. In this work we identified, isolated and sequenced the genes responsible for PHA production (phaA, phaB, phaE and phaC) in Synechocystis cf. salina PCC6909 (syn: Gloeothece membranacea), of which genome data are not yet available. Performing an in silico analysis, we illustrate here the Pha proteins (PhaA, PhaB, PhaE and PhaC) phylogeny and the prediction of their structure, i.e., secondary folding, topology, 3D model and clefts localization. Our results are discussed in the context of future applications of Synechocystis cf. salina PCC6909 Pha genes for heterologous PHA production and strain improvement.