Award details

Polysaccharide functionality: structure-function relationships

Reference	BBS/E/F/02100866
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Victor Morris
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	305,771
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/1999
Duration	24 months

Abstract

The aim is to demonstrate that genetic engineering can be used to manipulate and explain functionality of polysaccharides. Microbial polysaccharides (EPS) will be used as model systems. Studies will concentrate on a family of polysaccharides based on the Acetobacter xylinum heteropolysaccharide (acetan). This family includes the important food additive xanthan. Variants of acetan and xanthan structures will be used to examine and explain the functional properties of xanthan as a thickening, suspending and gelling agent. The possibility that acetan is a natural constituent of the Philippine fermented food Nata will be examined. If this proves correct then genetic manipulation of A. xylinum could be used not just for producing model polysaccharides but also for generating novel self-textured fermented foods. In a previous project 210.0537A the cluster of genes involved in acetan biosynthesis have been identified, cloned and sequenced. Functions have been assigned to some of these genes based on homologies with the structure of known polysaccharide biosynthetic genes. The remaining genes require identification by gene inactivation, deletion or complementation of mutations in EPS genes in other micro-organisms in a further project. (proposal. 346). This proposal complements the latter by providing expertise in structural studies necessary to assign functionalities to deleted/inactivated genes, physical chemical expertise to demonstrate that the polysaccharides produced by mutants are polymerised and exported in the correct conformation, and in the growth, isolation and purification of these polysaccharides for functionality studies. Such methods will also be used to test successful heterologous expression of polysaccharide biosynthetic genes in A. xylinum - a step crucial to the ultimate goal of generating completely novel polysaccharide structures.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

I accept the terms and conditions of use (opens in new window)

export PDF file

back to list new search