Amino-Acid Homopolymers Occurring in Nature [electronic resource] / edited by Yoshimitsu Hamano.
By: Hamano, Yoshimitsu [editor.].
Contributor(s): SpringerLink (Online service).
Material type:
BookSeries: Microbiology Monographs: 15Publisher: Berlin, Heidelberg : Springer Berlin Heidelberg : Imprint: Springer, 2010Description: VII, 250p. 62 illus. online resource.Content type: text Media type: computer Carrier type: online resourceISBN: 9783642124532.Subject(s): Life sciences | Biochemistry | Microbiology | Life Sciences | Microbiology | Biochemistry, generalDDC classification: 579 Online resources: Click here to access online Occurrence and Production of Poly-Epsilon-l-Lysine in Microorganisms -- Biochemistry and Enzymology of Poly-Epsilon-l-Lysine Biosynthesis -- Biochemistry and Enzymology of Poly-Epsilon-l-Lysine Degradation -- Biotechnological Production of Poly-Epsilon-l-Lysine for Food and Medical Applications -- Occurrence and Biosynthetic Mechanism of Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid -- Enzymatic Degradation of Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid -- Pharmaceutical and Medical Applications of Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid -- Food Applications of Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid.
Microorganisms are capable of producing a wide variety of biopolymers. Homopolymer peptides, which are made up of only a single type of amino acid, are far less ubiquitous. The only two amino-acid homopolymers known to occur in nature are presented in this volume. Poly-epsilon-L-lysine is a polycationic peptide and exhibits antimicrobial activity against a wide spectrum of microorganisms. It is both safe and biodegradable and is therefore used as a food preservative in several countries. In addition, there has been great interest in medical and other applications of poly-lysine and its derivatives. In contrast, poly-gamma-glutamic acid is an unusual anionic polypeptide. It is also water soluble, biodegradable, edible, non-toxic and non-immunogenic and can be chemically modified to introduce various drugs. These features are very useful for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Poly-glutamic acid is also a highly attractive as food ingredient.
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