Exopolysaccharide assay in Escherichia coli microcolonies using a cleavable fusion protein of GFP-labeled carbohydrate-binding module.

A fused protein composed of a carbohydrate-binding module and green fluorescence protein (GFP) was developed to measure the exopolysaccharides (EPShs) present in Escherichia coli microcolonies. The cleavage of the GFP part of this protein using a site-specific protease allowed for the non-invasive and quantitative evaluation of the EPShs.