Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology

The Korean Society for Microbiology and Biotechnology (한국미생물·생명공학회)
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An Unusual Bioconjugate of Glycerol and Poly(${\gamma}$-Glutamic Acid) Produced by Bacillus subtilis C1

  • SHIH ING-LUNG (Department of Environmental Engineering, Da-Yeh University) ;
  • WU JANE-YII (Department of Bioindustry Technology, Da-Yeh University) ;
  • WU PEI-JEN (Department of Environmental Engineering, Da-Yeh University) ;
  • SHEN MING-HAU (Department of Environmental Engineering, Da-Yeh University)
  • Published : 2005.10.01
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Abstract

A bacterium capable of poly(${\gamma}$-glutamic acid) production was isolated from nonpasteurized soy sauce. It was judged to be a variety of Bacillus subtilis and designated as B. subtilis C1. B. subtilis C1 produced ${\gamma}$-PGA in the absence of exogenous glutamic acid; therefore, it is a de novo PGA­producing bacterium. The product produced by B. subtilis C1 was characterized by amino acid analysis to be composed of solely glutamic acid. However, the $H^1-NMR$ spectra showed chemical shifts of glycerol protons in addition to those of authentic ${\gamma}$-PGA, indicating that the product is in fact a bioconjugate of ${\gamma}$-PGA. The finding is unique, because the microbial production of ${\gamma}$-PGA bioconjugate has never been reported before. The molecular mass of the product was over 10,000 kDa as determined by GPC, and $97\%$ of the product was D-glutamate, indicating that L-glutamate was converted to its D-form counterpart by B. subtilis C1.

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