Novel cellulose-producing bacteria

Abstract

Novel cellulose-producing bacteria including one capable of producing of a bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 1.6×10 4 or above, one capable of producing a bacterial cellulose containing a small amount of the fraction with low degrees of polymerization, one producing a Bingham polysaccharide as a by-product, and one producing a small amount of water-soluble polysaccharide; a method for the production of bacterial cellulose, which comprises culturing these cellulose-producing bacteria; and bacterial cellulose thus obtained.

1 . Cellulose-producing bacteria capable of producing a bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 1.6×10 4  or above in an aerobic agitated culture.  
     
     
         2 . Cellulose-producing bacteria capable of producing a bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 2.0×10 4  or above.  
     
     
         3 . Cellulose-producing bacteria producing a Bingham polysaccharide as a by-product.  
     
     
         4 . Cellulose-producing bacteria capable of producing a small amount of water-soluble polysaccharide.  
     
     
         5 . Cellulose-producing bacteria capable of producing a bacterial cellulose containing less than about 24% by weight of the fraction with a degree of polymerization of 1,000 or less in terms of polystyrene in an aerobic agitated culture.  
     
     
         6 . A method for the production of bacterial cellulose, which comprises culturing the bacteria according to one of    claims 1    to    5   .  
     
     
         7 . A bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 1.6×10 4  or above, which may be produced in an aerobic agitated culture.  
     
     
         8 . A method for the production of a bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 1.6×10 4  or above, which comprises culturing the bacteria according to one of    claims 1    to    5    in an aerobic agitated culture.  
     
     
         9 . A bacterial cellulose of    claim 7   , which may be produced according to the method of    claim 8   .  
     
     
         10 . A bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 2.0×10 4  or above.  
     
     
         11 . A method for the production of a bacterial cellulose having a weight-average degree of polymerization in terms of polystyrene of 2.0×10 4  or above, which comprises culturing the bacteria according to one of    claims 1    to    5    in a static culture.  
     
     
         12 . A bacterial cellulose of    claim 10   , which may be produced according to the method of    claim 11   .  
     
     
         13 . A bacterial cellulose containing less than about 24% by weight of the fraction with a degree of polymerization of 1,000 or less in terms of polystyrene, which may be produced in an aerobic agitated culture.  
     
     
         14 . A method for the production of the bacterial cellulose according to    claim 13   , which comprises culturing the bacteria according to one of    claims 1    to    5    in an aerobic agitated culture.  
     
     
         15 . A method for the production of the bacterial cellulose according to    claim 13   , which comprises culturing cellulose-producing bacteria in an aerobic agitated culture while controlling the activity of cellulose secreted by the cellulose-producing bacteria.  
     
     
         16 . A method for the production according to    claim 15   , which comprises maintaining the pH of a medium at about 4.  
     
     
         17 . A method for the production of the bacterial cellulose according to    claim 13   , which comprises culturing cellulose-producing bacteria in an aerobic agitated culture with a medium not containing corn steep liquor.  
     
     
         18 . A method for the production of the bacterial cellulose according to    claim 13   , which is an aerobic agitated culture in the presence of water-soluble polysaccharide.  
     
     
         19 . A bacterial cellulose of    claim 13   , which may be produced according to the method of one of    claims 14    to    18   .  
     
     
         20 . A shaped article made of the bacterial cellulose according to one of    claim 7   ,    9   ,  10 ,  12 ,  13  or  19 .