Problem to be Solved: To provide a new microorganism capable of producing
a polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), a PHA synthase gene, an expression cassette
including the gene, a vector including the expression cassette, a
transformant transformed by the vector, a polypeptide having PHA synthase
activity, a method for producing a PHA synthase and a method for
producing a PHA.
Solution: The new microorganism is capable of producing a
polyhydroxyalkanoate comprising a 16S rRNA gene whose polynucleotide
sequence shows 99% or more homology to a polynucleotide sequence
represented by SEQ ID No: 1, having an optimum temperature of an activity
temperature range for the growth and PHA production of the microorganism
of at least 45.degree. C. and being capable of growing at a pH range from
6 to 10.