The relationship between cellulase activity and oligosaccharides and cellulose productions by Acetobacter xylinum ATCC 23769

We have tried to investigate various carbohydrates production and cellulose degrading enzyme activity in the culture broth of cellulose producing microorganism, Acetohacter xylinum to clarify the role of cellulase for cellulose production. Carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) degrading activity and various oligosaccharides in addition to cellulose have already been detected after one-day culture. These oligosaccharides increased gradually during the culture, were identified to be rhamnose, mannose, some kinds of p-Iinked disaccharides such as f3-1, 4-linked and f3-1, 6-linked glucobiose (cellobiose and gentiobiose), cellotriose and cellotetraose by thin layer chromatogram analysis. It is assumed that these oligosaccharides may be enzymatic degradation products from acetan produced in the culture broth because they are the constitution sugar of acetan and cellulase produced by this microorganism could not degrade bacterial cellulose produced by itself. Cellulase activity is correlated closely with cellulose production, and more closely related to the changes in amount of oligosaccharides. In addition when A. xylinum was cultured in the presence of P-glucodisaccharides such as gentiobiose and cellobiose, we observed the increases of cellulase activity and cellulose production.