The control of cellulose biosynthesis by Acetobacter xylinum in view of molecular weight and molecular weight distribution .1. Change of molecular weight of bacterial cellulose by simple variation of culture conditions

The variation of culture conditions - such as inoculation procedures, cultivation times, subspecies of Acetobacter xylinum and carbon sources - lead to different bacterial cellulose products. After isolation and purification of the bacterial cellulose (BC) from the culture medium the BC was analyzed by subsequent mild trimethylsilylation to silylated cellulose followed by size-exclusion chromatography (SEC). Significant molecular weight shifts of these BC's were shown and discussed for a control of BC formation. The data of SEC from silylated BC are critically compared with a carbanilated BC.