LIMM and the Biotransformation Laboratory are collaborating on bacterial cellulose membrane materials for food preservation applications
1. Introduction
Bacterial cellulose is a product of the primary metabolic processes in bacteria, used to create a protective biofilm. The cellulose fibre network in BC membranes consists of tightly packed nanoscale fibres arranged in a three-dimensional space, forming hydrogel sheets with high thicknesses and porosity. Each nanofiber is approximately 50 - 80 nm in width and 3 - 8 nm in thickness.
Bacteria can produce cellulose in both type I and type II structures. Depending on cultivation conditions and bacterial strains, one form of cellulose may dominate. Cellulose I is synthesized by most plant species, where the ß-1,4-glucosidic chains are aligned parallel along a single axis. In contrast, only a few eukaryotic cells can synthesize cellulose II, characterized by ß-1,4-glucosidic chains arranged randomly within the molecule, resulting in many hydrogen bonds that confer high thermal stability. Overall, bacterial cellulose is a promising material with potential applications in various fields.
2. Mechanism of Bacterial Cellulose Biosynthesis
The biosynthesis of cellulose by bacteria involves several reactions specifically regulated by numerous enzymes and regulatory proteins. Glucose absorbed by bacteria from the environment is phosphorylated into glucose-6-phosphate by the enzyme glucokinase. The isomerization reaction by the enzyme phosphoglucomutase then converts glucose-6-phosphate into glucose-1-phosphate. This isomer reacts with uridine-5-triphosphate (UTP), forming uridine diphosphate glucose (UDP-glucose) via the action of the enzyme UDP-glucose pyro phosphorylase. UDP-glucose is subsequently catalyzed by cellulose synthase to form glucan chains. In the final step, the glucan chains synthesized inside the cytoplasm are linked together within or near the outer membrane and secreted into the extracellular environment by membrane protein complexes, forming bundled structures composed of hundreds or thousands of individual glucan chains.
3. Applications
Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a green material synthesized by bacteria with potential applications in various fields. BC is an attractive material for use in electronics, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food-related products. Additionally, BC has potential applications in the food industry as a packaging material due to its non-toxic nature and ability to form specific shapes during biosynthesis. Overall, the unique properties of BC make it a versatile biomaterial with promising applications in many aspects of everyday life.
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