Effect of o-acyl substituents on the functional behaviour of Rhizobium meliloti succinoglycan

• Published in: International journal of biological macromolecules Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 1 - 7
• Main Authors: Ridout, M.J., Brownsey, G.J., York, G.M., Walker, G.C., Morris, V.J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Netherlands Elsevier B.V 01.02.1997
• Subjects: Calorimetry, Differential Scanning; Carbohydrate Sequence; Molecular Sequence Data; Molecular Structure; Molecular Weight; Order-disorder transitions; Polymer modifications; Polysaccharides, Bacterial - chemistry; Rheology; Rheology - methods; Sinorhizobium meliloti - chemistry; Structure-Activity Relationship; Succinoglycan; Thermodynamics; Viscosity; Polymer modifications; Order-disorder transitions; Succinoglycan; Rheology
• ISSN: 0141-8130; 1879-0003
• DOI: 10.1016/S0141-8130(96)01140-3

The effects of selective removal of acetyl or succinyl substituents on the functionality of succinoglycan polysaccharide have been studied by comparing the behaviour of the polysaccharides isolated from native Rhizobium meliloti strain Rm1021, and genetically modified R. meliloti species. Removal of the succinyl groups was found to dramatically improve pseudoplasticity of the aqueous succinoglycan samples and also increase the cooperativity of the order-disorder transition exhibited by the polysaccharide. Removal of the acetyl substituent led to a decrease in the order-disorder transition temperature, whereas the removal of the succinyl groups led to an increase.