Novel in vivo-degradable cellulose-chitin copolymer from metabolically engineered Gluconacetobacter xylinus.

ABSTRACT: Despite excellent biocompatibility and mechanical properties, the poor in vitro and in vivo degradability of cellulose has limited its biomedical and biomass conversion applications. To address this issue, we report a metabolic engineering-based approach to the rational redesign of cellular metabolites to introduce N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) residues into cellulosic biopolymers during de novo synthesis from Gluconacetobacter xylinus. The cellulose produced from these engineered cells (modified bacterial cellulose [MBC]) was evaluated and compared with cellulose produced from normal cells (bacterial cellulose [BC]). High GlcNAc content and lower crystallinity in MBC compared to BC make this a multifunctional bioengineered polymer susceptible to lysozyme, an enzyme widespread in the human

SUBMITTER: Yadav V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2937499 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature