Team:Osaka/Project pga

From 2010.igem.org

Revision as of 14:51, 26 October 2010 by Shaothing (Talk | contribs)

Gamma polyglutamic acid

Gamma polyglutamic acid (γ-PGA) is an interesting biopolymer. It can be found in "natto", a Japanese traditional food made of soybeans. Bacillus subtilis ferments soybeans and creates sticky-ness product, PGA, to protect itself from other microorganisms. It is a promising polymer, because it has many functions.(For instance, highly water-holding, edible, biodegradable...)

Fig.3 Fig.2

Poly glutamate synthetase(PGS) is necessary to produce PGA in Escherichia coli. PGS gene includes three ORF (open reading flame),which are pgsB, pgsC, and pgsA. These ORFs code three essential enzymes to create PGA.

Fig.4

PGA contains both D and L glutamate.

To increase the amount of PGA production, co-expression of glutamate racemase and PGS is needed.

PGS is originally localized in cell membrane, and proposed to produce PGA from D,L-Glutamic acid. Bacillus subtilis has enzymes to biodegrade PGA; however, E. coli does not. Therefore, we want E. coli to produce PGA for greening of the desert.

Fig.5 Fig.6

Retrieved from "http://2010.igem.org/Team:Osaka/Project_pga"