Elucidating the structural changes of cellulose molecules and dynamics of Na ions during the crystal transition from cellulose I to II in low temperature and low concentration NaOH solution.

Low-concentration alkali treatments at low temperatures facilitate the crystal transition of cellulose I to II. However, the transition mechanism remains unclear. Hence, in this study, we traced the transition using in situ solid-state 13C CP/MAS NMR, WAXS, and 23Na NMR relaxation measurements. In situ solid-state 13C CP/MAS NMR and WAXS measurements revealed that soaking cellulose in NaOH at low temperatures disrupts the intramolecular hydrogen bonds and lowers the crystallinity of cellulose. The dynamics of Na ions (NaOH) play a crucial role in causing these phenomena. 23Na NMR relaxation measurements indicated that the Na-ion correlation time becomes longer during the crystal transition. This transition requires the penetration of Na ions (NaOH) into the cellulose crystal and a reduction in Na-ion mobility, which occurs at low temperatures or high NaOH concentrations. The interactions between cellulose and NaOH disrupt intramolecular hydrogen bonds, inducing a conformational change in the cellulose molecules into a more stable arrangement. This weakens the hydrophobic interactions of cellulose, and facilitates the penetration of NaOH and water into the crystal, leading to the formation of alkali cellulose. Our findings suggest that a strategy to control NaOH dynamics could lead to the discovery of a novel preparation method for cellulose II.

Cross-polarization/magic-angle spinning 13C nuclear magnetic resonance study of cellulose I-ethylenediamine complex.

Complete assignments of the cross-polarization/magic-angle spinning (CP/MAS) 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectrum of the cellulose I-ethylenediamine (EDA) complex, which is the intermediate of the reaction from cellulose I to cellulose III(I), were performed. In this paper, we used the 13C-enriched cellulose that was biosynthesized by Acetobacter xylinum ATCC10245 strain from culture medium containing D-(2-13C), D-(3-13C), or D-(5-13C)glucose as a carbon source. After conversion into cellulose I-EDA complex by sufficient EDA treatment, the CP/MAS 13C NMR spectra of the 13C-enriched cellulose I-EDA complexes were measured. As a result, 13C resonance lines of each carbon of the cellulose moiety in the complex appeared as a singlet, suggesting that all glucose residues of the complex are magnetically equivalent. The difference in chemical shifts for each carbon between cellulose I-EDA and cellulose I(alpha), I(beta), and III(I), respectively, suggests that the conformation of the cellulose chains for cellulose I-EDA differs from that for cellulose I(alpha), I(beta), and III(I). In addition, fitting analysis of the 13C spectrum of Valonia cellulose I-EDA complex revealed that the complex contains one EDA molecule per two glucose residues in the cellulose chain.

Cloning of cellulose synthesis related genes from Acetobacter xylinum ATCC23769 and ATCC53582: comparison of cellulose synthetic ability between strains.

About 14.5 kb of DNA fragments from Acetobacter xylinum ATCC23769 and ATCC53582 were cloned, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. The sequenced DNA regions contained endo-beta-1,4-glucanase, cellulose complementing protein, cellulose synthase subunit AB, C, D and beta-glucosidase genes. The results from a homology search of deduced amino acid sequences between A. xylinum ATCC23769 and ATCC53582 showed that they were highly similar. However, the amount of cellulose production by ATCC53582 was 5 times larger than that of ATCC23769 during a 7-day incubation. In A. xylinum ATCC53582, synthesis of cellulose continued after glucose was consumed, suggesting that a metabolite of glucose, or a component of the medium other than glucose, may be a substrate of cellulose. On the other hand, cell growth of ATCC23769 was twice that of ATCC53582. Glucose is the energy source in A. xylinum as well as the substrate of cellulose synthesis, and the metabolic pathway of glucose in both strains may be different. These results suggest that the synthesis of cellulose and the growth of bacterial cells are contradictory.

CP/MAS (13)C NMR study of cellulose and cellulose derivatives. 1. Complete assignment of the CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectrum of the native cellulose.

The precise assignments of cross polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) (13)C NMR spectra of cellulose I(alpha) and I(beta) were performed by using (13)C labeled cellulose biosynthesized by Acetobacter xylinum (A. xylinum) ATCC10245 strain from culture medium containing D-[1,3-(13)C]glycerol or D-[2-(13)C]glucose as a carbon source. On the CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectrum of cellulose from D-[1,3-(13)C]glycerol, the introduced (13)C labeling were observed at C1, C3, C4, and C6 of the biosynthesized cellulose. In the case of cellulose biosynthesized from D-[2-(13)C]glucose, the transitions of (13)C labeling to C1, C3, and C5 from C2 were observed. With the quantitative analysis of the (13)C transition ratio and comparing the CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectrum of the Cladophora cellulose with those of the (13)C labeled celluloses, the assignments of the cluster of resonances which belong to C2, C3, and C5 of cellulose, which have not been assigned before, were performed. As a result, all carbons of cellulose I(alpha) and I(beta) except for C1 and C6 of cellulose I(alpha) and C2 of cellulose I(beta) were shown in equal intensity of doublet in the CP/MAS spectrum of the native cellulose, which suggests that two inequivalent glucopyranose residues were contained in the unit cells of both cellulose I(alpha) and I(beta) allomorphs.

CP/MAS (13)C NMR study of cellulose and cellulose derivatives. 2. Complete assignment of the (13)C resonance for the ring carbons of cellulose triacetate polymorphs.

Complex ring (13)C resonance lines of the cross-polarization/magic angle spinning (CP/MAS) (13)C NMR spectra of cellulose triacetate (CTA) I and CTA II were completely assigned, for the first time, by (13)C-enriched CTA allomorphs. The (13)C-enriched CTA I was prepared by heterogeneous acetylation of bacterial cellulose which was biosynthesized by Acetobacter xylinum (A. xylinum) ATCC10245 from culture medium containing D-(2-(13)C)-, D-(3-(13)C)-, or D-(5-(13)C)glucose as a carbon source, while CTA II samples were obtained by solution acetylation of the (13)C-enriched bacterial celluloses. From comparison of the spectra of normal CTA prepared from ramie with those of the enriched CTA samples, it was revealed that all carbons composed of CTA I appeared as a singlet, while those of CTA II except for C1 were shown as equal-intensity doublets in the CP/MAS (13)C NMR spectrum. This finding suggests that CTA I is made up of one kind of glucopyranose residue while there are two magnetically inequivalent sites in the unit cell of CTA II in the same population.

Effects of endogenous endo-beta-1,4-glucanase on cellulose biosynthesis in Acetobacter xylinum ATCC23769.

Endo-beta-1,4-glucanase (CMCax; EC 3.2.1.4) from Acetobacter xylinum ATCC23769 was expressed as a 6 x His-tagged fusion protein in Escherichia coli. The optimal temperature, pH, K(m) and V(max) of the purified His-tagged CMCax toward carboxymethyl cellulose were 50 degrees C, 4.5, 20 mg/ml and 37.2 microM/min, respectively. The number of recognition residues of cello-oligosaccharide by this enzyme were five (cellopentaose) or longer, and the stereochemical course of hydrolysis was of the inverting type. Addition of a small amount (1.5 mg/l) of His-tagged CMCax into a culture medium enhanced cellulose production 1.2-fold. CMCax overproduction in A. xylinum also enhanced the yield of cellulose production. Transmission electron microscopic analysis revealed that the cellulose ribbons secreted from the CMCax overproducing strain were dispersed compared with those from the wild type strain in the same manner as by carboxymethyl cellulose addition. These results could suggest that CMCax from A. xylinum influences in cellulose ribbon assembly, which is considered to be a rate-determined process in cellulose synthesis.