Recent advances in curdlan biosynthesis, biotechnological production, and applications

Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 2012 Jan;93(2):525-31. doi: 10.1007/s00253-011-3740-2. Epub 2011 Nov 30.

Abstract

Curdlan is a water-insoluble β-(1,3)-glucan produced by Agrobacterium species under nitrogen-limited condition. Its heat-induced gelling properties render curdlan to be very useful in the food industry initially. Recent advances in the understanding of the role curdlan plays in both innate and adaptive immunity lead to its growing applications in biomedicine. Our review focuses on the recent advances on curdlan biosynthesis and the improvements of curdlan fermentation production both from our laboratory and many others as well as the latest advances on the new applications of curdlan and its derivatives particularly in their immunological functions in biomedicine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Agrobacterium / metabolism*
  • Biological Products / isolation & purification*
  • Biological Products / metabolism*
  • Biological Products / pharmacology
  • Biotechnology / methods*
  • Immunologic Factors / isolation & purification
  • Immunologic Factors / metabolism
  • Immunologic Factors / pharmacology
  • beta-Glucans / isolation & purification*
  • beta-Glucans / metabolism*
  • beta-Glucans / pharmacology

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • Immunologic Factors
  • beta-Glucans
  • curdlan