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Capsule development and structural characterization of acidic extracellular polysaccharides secreted by cowpea Rhizobia

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Abstract

Capsular development and detailed morphology of exostructures of cowpeaRhizobium sp. JLn(c) were examined by transmission electron microscopy. The capsule development began at one pole in the form of polar fibrils in the early-exponential phase and extended further to cover the cell completely at the mid-exponential phase. Exostructures excreted by cowpeaRhizobium sp. JLn(c) have been found to be attached to cells or free in the culture medium; they consisted of mixtures of complex acidic exopolysaccharides (Type I) and neutral glucans (Type II). These polymers were separated by gel filtration and high-pressure liquid chromatography. The acidic microfibrils from JLn(c) were isolated and identified as cellulose by infrared spectral analysis. This acidic polymer was chemically characterized and was found to contain mainly glucose, galactose, glucuronic acid, mannose, fucose, pyruvate, acetate, and uronates.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology Centre, Faculty of Science, M.S. University of Baroda, 390 002, Baroda, India

    Bina R. Mody, Meena O. Bindra &  Vinod V. Modi

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  1. Bina R. Mody
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  2. Meena O. Bindra
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  3. Vinod V. Modi
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Mody, B.R., Bindra, M.O. & Modi, V.V. Capsule development and structural characterization of acidic extracellular polysaccharides secreted by cowpea Rhizobia. Current Microbiology 20, 145–152 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02091989

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