PREPARATION OF BACTERIAL CELLULOSE CONTAINING N-ACETYLGLUCOSAMINE RESIDUES

The incorporation of N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to bacterial cellulose (BC) was achieved by the use of Acetobacter xylinum strains, which were adapted to GlcNAc by the successive transfer to GlcNAc as a liquid medium (containing GlcNAc as carbon source, without glucose) or by incubation on GlcNAc as a solid medium. The incorporation of GlcNAc residues was detected by the amino-acid analysis of acid hydrolysate, and 4 mol% of GlcNAc among the glucose residues was the highest content observed. The GlcNAc-incorporated BC was hydrolyzed by cellulase [EC 3.2.1.4], lysozyme (EC 3.2.1.17], and chitinase [EC 3.2.1.14] even at low GlcNAc content. The specificities toward enzymes suggested the random distribution of GlcNAc in the BC main chain and incorporation of GlcNAc residues through beta-1,4 glycoside linkages.