• KSBB Journal
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• v.10 no.4
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• pp.386-392
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• 1995

The high viscous ${\gamma}$-polyglutamic acid(${\gamma}$-PGA) from alkalophilic Alcaligenes sp. was purified and its solution property was investigated. The intrinsic viscosities for Na+ form and H+ form of ${\gamma}$-PGA were 31.1 and 0.38d$\ell$/g, respectively. The viscosity of H+-PGA was not influenced by pH or salts while that of Na+-PGA was influenced. The intrinsic viscosity of Na+-PGA solution decreased remarkably at the alkaline or acidic pH and showed the sharp decrease when salts were added. ${\gamma}$-PGA exhibited the property of the polyelectrolyte showing the .sharp decrease of intrinsic viscosity by the addition of NaCl, and intrinsic viscosity of dilute solution with the low concentration of NaCl was exponentially dependent on temperature and its temperature dependency increased with increasing NaCl concentration. The chain stiffness, coil overlap parameter and critical concentration of Na+-PGA were 0.08, 5.25 and 0.07g/d$\ell$, respectively.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.547-552
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• 1995

Some functional and rheological properties of the ${\gamma}$-polyglutamic acid(${\gamma}$-PGA) produced from alkalophilic Alcaligenes sp. were investigated. Viscosity synergism with thickening agents, capacities for gelling, entrapig of heavy metals, and flocculability of ${\gamma}$-PGA were not observed, but the relatively good compatability with various polyvalent metallic ins, excellent absorption ability and spinability were observed. The ${\gamma}$-PGA solution showed non-Newtonian flow behavior and exhibited pseudoplastic property with a yield stress at above 1% concentration. The values of flow index for 1% solution were in the range of 0.41∼0.75 showing shear rate dependency and the value of yield stress was 2.28 Pa. The value of consistency index was 0.868 Pa$.$Sn and was exponentially dependent on concentration.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.209-216
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• 1993

For the production of biodegradable polymers from microorganisms a bacterial strain producing a biopolymer was isolated from soil. The bacteriological characteristics of this strain and physicochemical Properties of the biopolymer produced were investigated. The bacterial strain was identified as an alkalophilic Alcaligenes sp. The Purified biopolymer treated with cetylpridinium chloride and acetone was identified as an acidic biopolymer having carboxyl groups and showed strong UV absorbance (at 210nm). The biopolymer was composed of 100% glutamic acid and glutamic acid existed as $\gamma$-polyglutamic acid($\gamma$-PGA) in the form of the $\gamma$-peptide bond. The equivalent weight of this $\gamma$-PGA was estimated about 350, indicating that one acidic fraction per 2.7 residue of $\gamma$-polyglutamic acid existed. The molecular weight was $6.5{\times}10^5$ Daltons.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.509-514
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• 2007

In this study, we optimized the production of ${\gamma}-polyglutamic$ acid (PGA) in soybean milk cakes (SMC) fermented with Bacillus subtilis GT-D and B. subtilis KU-A, to be utilized as a functional food ingredient. PGA production was dependent upon the glutamate content, fermentation time, and type of Bacillus sp. The consistencies of the SMCs fermented by B. subtilis GT-D and B. subtilis KU-A were highest after 36 hr of fermentation, and then decreased gradually. The SMC fermented by B. subtilis KU-A had a higher consistency than the SMC fermented by B. subtilis GT-D. In the presence of 10% defatted soy flour (DFS), 5% glutamate in the SMC was efficiently converted into polyglutamic acid (PGA) for 24 hr, indicating a conversion yield above 96%, but its conversion then decreased with higher concentrations of glutamate. The soluble solid content (mucilage) of the SMC fermented with B. subtilis KU-A was 9.5%(w/w), and composed of 65.6% PGA (Mw 1,536 kDa) and some polysaccharides. However, the SMC fermented with B. subtilis GT-D had a mucilage content of 7.8%(w/w), and was composed of 66.4% PGA (Mw 1,409 kDa), 11.5% levan, and some polysaccharides. The viscoelastic values of the mucilage obtained using B. subtilis KU-A were much higher than those of mucilage obtained using B. subtilis GT-D. Also, the G'-value (elastic modulus) was higher than the G"-value (viscous modulus).

• Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering:BBE
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• v.11 no.3
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• pp.251-257
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• 2006

The components of the media used to elicit the biosynthesis of $poly-{\gamma}-glutamic$ acid $({\gamma}-PGA)$ by Bacillus subtilis ZJU-7 were investigated, particularly the carbon and nitrogen sources Of the 7 carbon sources investigated, sucrose induced the highest rate of ${\gamma}-PGA$ productivity; among the nitrogen sources, tryptone had the best effect for ${\gamma}-PGA$ production. A $2^{6-2}$ fractional factorial design was used to screen factors that influence ${\gamma}-PGA$ production significantly, and a central composite design was finally adopted to formulate the optimal medium. ${\gamma}-PGA$ productivity improved approximately 2-fold when the optimal medium was used compared with the original nonoptimized medium, and volumetric productivity reached a maximum of 58.2 g/L after a 24-h cultivation period.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.16 no.5
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• pp.722-727
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• 2007

Mucilage containing ${\gamma}-polyglutamic$ acid (PGA) was efficiently generated by the solid-state fermentation (SSF) of soybean grit by Bacillus firmus NA-1. B. firmus NA-1 was shown to be a glutamate-dependent strain for PGA production. The SSF of soybean grit was optimized in order to produce mucilage with a fortification of 5% glutamate, resulting in higher levels of mucilage production (6.14%) and a higher consistency index ($1.1\;Pa\;sec^n$). The sticky mucilage was comprised of 38% PGA, 7% levan, and some biopolymers. With regard to the viscoelastic properties of the mucilage solution, the viscous modulus (G") obtained from soybean grit fortified with 5% glutamate was approximately 64 times higher titan that of the mucilage solution obtained without glutamate. Although the addition of glutamate in the SSF of soybean grit influenced the rate of PGA production, the molecular weight of PGA remained unaltered, and was detected in a range between 1,400-1,440 kDa.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.59-65
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• 2005

Poly-${\gamma}$-glutamic acid (PGA) is an unusual anionic polypeptide and has great potential as an environmentally and industrially significant biodegradable material. A new ${\gamma}$-PGA producer, Bacillus mesentericus MJM1, with high production capacity was isolated from Korean domestic Chungkuckjang bean paste. It produced ${\gamma}$-PGA at the level of 10 g/l in suitable media. The viscosities of 5% initially extracted mucin and purified ${\gamma}$-PGA solutions were 660 cps and 600 cps, respectively. The produced ${\gamma}$-PGA polymer consisted of 2,000 glutamic acid residues with even proportion of L and D types with molecular mass of about 200- 300 kDa. Bacillus mesentericus MJM1 displayed ${\gamma}$-glutamyltranspeptidase (${\gamma}$-GTP) activity that is known to play a key role in ${\gamma}$-PGA biosynthesis. The ${\gamma}$-GTP coding region was located on the plasmid of 5.8 kb. The plasmid, named pMMH1, is a rolling-circle replication (RCR) plasmid and additionally contained a replication origin and type I signal peptidase (sipP) coding region.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.8 no.3
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• pp.217-223
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• 1993

Methods for production of ${\gamma}$-Polyglutamic acid( ${\gamma}$-PGA ) by an alkalophilic Alcaligenes sP. were investigated for batch and continuous culture processes. Both quantity and productivity of ${\gamma}$-PGA by Alcaligenes sp. in batch culture were gradually increased with the increase of glucose concentration up to 50g/l , but the maximal production yield of 63% was obtained at 10g/l of glucose concentration. The highest specific growth rate was about $0.25hr^{-1}$ at 50un of glucose concentration, and substrate inhibition was observed at above 50g1f of glucose concentration. The highest ${\gamma}$-PGA formation about 11g/l in a batch system was obtained at 31'C, pH 10.0 and 87rpn Productivity of 2.80g/l/hr for continuous cultivation was 9 times higher than the productivity for batch cultivation.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.395-402
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• 2001

A fusant FG-21 was selected on the basis of higher ${\gamma}-GTP$ activity following fusion process between SM-2 and SM-10 of Bacillus subtilis mutants. ${\gamma}-GTP$ activity of the mutant FG-21 was increased up to 612 U/mL when grown for 36 hr at $37^{\circ}C$ in culture media containing 1% glycerol 1% glycerol, 1% peptone, 0.1% citric acid, 5 mM $K_2HPO_4$, 1 mM $FeCl_3$, 1 mM $MgCl_2$, 1 mM $NH_4Cl$, pH 7.0. In fusnat FG-21, the ratio of protein to total sugar contents for biopolymer A was 38 to 59. for biopolymer B from parental strains it was 19 to 78. Fructose contents determined by HPLC were $573.7\;\mu\textrm{g}/mg\;and\;764.4\;\mu\textrm{g}/mg$ for biopolymer A and B, respectively. And glutamic acid content were $163.7\;\mu\textrm{g}/mg\;and\;94.6\;\mu\textrm{g}/mg$ for biopolymer A and B, respectively. In fusant FG-21, the ratio of fructose to glutamic acid contents for biopolymer A was 78 to 22. For biopolymer B from parental strains it was 89 to 11.

• KSBB Journal
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• v.13 no.5
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• pp.554-560
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• 1998

Biopolymer from alkaline-tolerant Bacillus so. was purified, and its physico-chemical and structural properties were investigated. Crude biopolymer, precipitated by acetone from culture broth was fractionated into two fractions by gel chromatography on Sephadex G-200. Among two fractions, one fraction(PS I), which an acidic biopolymer precipitated by the CPC(cetylpyridinium chloride) treatment was studied further. PS I fraction had carboxyl groups and was positive at color reaction of sugar. PS I fraction also showed UV absorbance at 190-225nm. The purified acidic biopolymer was composed of 4% glucose, 8% glucosamine and 88% glutamic acid. Sugar components of the purified acidic biopolymer seemed to be linked to PGA(polyglutamic acid) which existed in the from of ${\gamma}$-peptide bond. By the results of Smith degradation of sugar components, glucose and glucosamine was bound by 1,3 glocosidic linkage. Therefore, this biopolymer was a glycopeptide, oligosaccaride ${\gamma}$-PGA. We concluded that the equivalent weight and the molecular weight of this biopolymer were estimated as about 171 and 5x105 dalton, respectively.