Analysis of structure and function of gellans with different substitution patterns

Chemical mutagenesis or exposure to antibiotic stress of Sphingomonas paucimobilis ATCC 31461 and R40 have been used to isolate mutants producing modified gellan gum polysaccharides. N.m.r. and conventional carbohydrate analysis methods have been used to characterise these polysaccharides. The H-1 and C-13 n.m.r. spectra of gellan gum have been fully assigned and the anomeric regions have been shown to be very sensitive to the type and location of non-carbohydrate substituents. Analysis of the gellan gum mutants suggests that they differ in the nature of acetate and glycerate substitution. Such gellan-related polysaccharides have been used to test the selective effect of acyl substituents on the gelation of gellan gum. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.