A Microbial Enzyme Produces a Novel Form of Biopolymers

Polysaccharides are strings of sugars in which are the most abundant biopolymers on Earth. Because of their adaptability and environmental friendliness, these molecules have the potential to replace various plastics.

As reported in ACS Central Science, researchers have discovered a previously unrecognized bacterial enzyme capable of producing a novel form of polysaccharide akin to the biopolymer chitin,

This certain chemical is disposable and has a great potential to be beneficial in medication delivery, synthetic biology, and other biological applications.

Polysaccharides as a biodegradable polymer

According to ScienceDaily, Polysaccharides serve several roles in organisms, and their biocompatibility and biodegradability make them potential carrier materials for a wide range of treatments.

Each compound in the chain behaves uniquely based on who it is and how it is connected to the others.

Depending on the conditions of the reaction, glycoside phosphorylase enzymes could either cut or produce polysaccharides.

One such enzyme, for example, produces chitin, a vital part of arthropod exoskeletons and fungal cell walls.

Stephen Withers and colleagues investigated whether there were any previously undiscovered, naturally occurring enzymes capable of producing novel polysaccharides.

They discovered a glycoside phosphorylase protein from the bacteria Acholeplasma laidlawii using genetic information and activity-based screening.

They produced and refined the enzyme and discovered that it could create a novel polysaccharide, as per Sci News.

The novel biopolymer, acholetin, is similar in composition to chitin and a biofilm-forming polysaccharide, but its sugar molecules are bonded together differently than these existing biopolymers.

The researchers also discovered the crystalline phase of the glycoside phosphorylase, whose they feel is critical in the maintenance of Acholeplasma a cellular membrane.

As a consequence, they could be able to determine the enzyme in order to minimize bacterial contamination of cell cultures, as well as use the enzyme to develop novel biomaterials.

The scientists solved the crystalline nature of the glycoside phosphorylase, which they believe is important in the cellular membrane of A. laidlawii's maintenance.

Acholetin, according to the researchers, holds great potential as a novel type of biocompatible, biodegradable material.

What is a polysaccharide?

According to the book of Polymers in Biology and Medicine, Polysaccharides are the most common biopolymers that found throughout nature. These are polymers made up of monosaccharides connected together by glycosidic bonds.

Polysaccharides are classified into several categories, they have a molecular structure that can be linear or highly branched, and they can be made up of the same (homopolysaccharide) or distinct (heteropolysaccharide) monosaccharide units.

Homopolysaccharides are polysaccharides comprised of numerous molecules of a single sugar or sugar derivative (homoglycans).

Glycogen and starch, the storage carbohydrates of animals and plants, respectively, are homopolysaccharides consisting of glucose, as is cellulose, an important structural component of most plants.

Heteropolysaccharides are polysaccharides composed of molecules of more than one sugar or sugar derivative (heteroglycans).

Most are made up of simply two distinct units and are linked to proteins or lipids. Acid mucopolysaccharides are abundant in mammalian tissues.

Physical and chemical qualities are conferred by structural variations.

These polysaccharides are such biopolymers that are completely harmless and biodegradable.

Polysaccharides can be found in abundance in algae. Algae are grown commercially in many regions of the world to produce phycocolloids such as alginates and carrageenan.

Polysaccharides found in marine microalgae include cell wall polysaccharides, mucopolysaccharides, and storing polysaccharides.

They are widely employed in culinary items as gelling agents, thickeners, stabilizers, and emulsifiers.

They're also used in medicines, photography, and tertiary oil recovery.

Species with the greatest polysaccharide content, have a polysaccharide content of 65 percent.