Poly-γ-glutamate-based Materials for Multiple Infection Prophylaxis Possessing Versatile Coating Performance.

Poly-γ-glutamate (PGA) possesses a nylon-like backbone and polyacrylate-like carboxyl groups, and shows an extraordinary solubility in water. In this study, the effective synthesis and structural analysis of some water-insoluble PGA ion-complexes (PGAICs) using cationic surfactants, hexadecylpyridinium (HDP), dodecylpyridinium, benzalkonium and benzetonium, were examined. We demonstrated their spontaneous coating performance to the surfaces of different materials (i.

Rapid purification and plasticization of D-glutamate-containing poly-γ-glutamate from Japanese fermented soybean food natto.

Poly-γ-glutamate (PGA) is a major component of mucilage derived from natto, a Japanese fermented food made from soybeans, and PGAs obtained under laboratory's conditions contain numerous d-glutamyl residues. Natto foods are thus promising as a source for nutritionally safe d-amino acids present in intact and digested polymers, although there is little information on the stereochemistry of PGA isolated directly from natto. Here, we describe the development of a new process for rapid purification of PGA using alum and determined the D-glutamate content of natto PGA by chiral high-performance liquid chromatographic analysis.

Hyaluronan synthesis in cultured tobacco cells (BY-2) expressing a chlorovirus enzyme: cytological studies.

Extraction of hyaluronan from animals or microbial fermentation has risks including contamination with pathogens and microbial toxins. In this work, tobacco cultured-cells (BY-2) were successfully transformed with a chloroviral hyaluronan synthase (cvHAS) gene to produce hyaluronan. Cytological studies revealed accumulation of HA on the cells, and also in subcellular fractions (protoplasts, miniplasts, vacuoplasts, and vacuoles).

Development of antimicrobial thermoplastic material from archaeal poly-γ-L-glutamate and its nanofabrication.

Here we describe a stoichiometric ion-complex of archaeal poly-γ-L-glutamate (L-PGA) and hexadecylpyridinium cation (HDP(+)), called PGAIC, which shows remarkable chemical resistance and potential as a novel functional thermoplastic. PGAIC films suppressed the proliferation of prokaryotic (Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, Salmonella typhimurium, and Staphylococcus aureus) and eukaryotic (Saccharomyces cerevisiae) microorganisms. Moreover, its antifungal activity was demonstrated against a prevalent species of Candida (Candida albicans) and a filamentous fungus (Aspergillus niger).