Cellulases are enzymes that normally digest cellulose; however, some are known to play essential roles in cellulose biosynthesis. Although some endogenous cellulases of plants and cellulose-producing bacteria are reportedly involved in cellulose production, their functions in cellulose production are unknown. In this study, we demonstrated that disruption of the cellulase (carboxymethylcellulas...

Acetobacter xylinum is a bacterium that can synthesize cellulose when grown in an undefined medium containing glucose. We developed a defined minimal medium for A. xylinum that contains 1% glucose, 0.1% NH(4)Cl, 0.115% citric acid, 0.33% Na(2)HPO(4), 0.01% KCl, 0.025% MgSO(4). 7H(2)O, and 7.5 mg of nicotinamide per liter which both allows cellulose synthesis and can be used to isolate a variety...

The oxidation of various inositols (hexahydroxycyclohexanes) and quercitols (pentahydroxycyclohexanes) and their derivatives by resting cells of Acetobacter suboxydans has been studied by Chargaff and his students (1, 2), who found that the specificity exhibited by the organism toward the cyclitols studied was not adequately described by the Bertrand-Hudson rules (3) for open chain polyalcohols...

Two species of free-living nematodes, Panagrellus redivivus and Turbatrix aceti, were cultured axenically at control (20 C) and cold (10 C) temperatures. Oxygen consumption of worms from each population was measured manometrically on days 2 through 8 after exposure to these temperatures. In both species, the slope of the oxygen consumption curve for the controls was greater than that of the wor...

Microbial cellulose (MC) synthesized in abundance by Acetobacter xylinum shows vast potential as a novel wound healing system. The high mechanical strength and remarkable physical properties result from the unique nanostructure of the never-dried membrane. This article attempts to briefly summarize the recent developments and applications of MC in the emerging field of novel wound dressings and...

In acetic acid fermentation by Acetobacter aceti, the acetic acid produced inhibits the production of acetic acid by this microorganism. To alleviate this inhibitory effect, we developed an electrodialysis fermentation method such that acetic acid is continuously removed from the broth. The fermentation unit has a computerized system for the control of the pH and the concentration of ethanol in...

Films and tubes manufactured from cellulose have historically been used in the treatment of renal failure, but their use for this purpose has declined in recent years in favour of films manufactured from synthetic material blends. As the clinical application of cellulose for dialysis declines, new applications for its use are emerging, of which the most promising appears to be the use of microb...

The cellulose-producing bacterium Acetobacter xylinum has been considered a strict aerobe, and it has been suggested that the function of cellulose is to hold cells in an aerobic environment. In this study, we showed that A. xylinum is capable of growing microaerophilically. Cellulose pellicles provided significant protection to A. xylinum cells from the killing effects of UV light. In experime...