CHARACTERIZATION OF MICROBIAL CELLULOSE FROM A HIGH-PRODUCING MUTAGENIZED ACETOBACTER-PASTEURIANUS STRAIN

A wild-type Acetobacter pasteurianus was subjected to chemical mutagen esis for the induction and isolation of a cellulose overproducing stra in. A mutagenized strain capable of synthesizing double amounts of cel lulose compared to the wild type was obtained, Cellulose, both from th e wild-type and the mutagenized strain, was extracted and purified for chemical characterization and investigation of its physico-chemical p roperties. The comparison of the two microbial polysaccharides shows t hat the putative mutation of A. pasteurianus strain had no effect on s ome cellulose features such as chemical structure, polymorphic form, c rystallinity.