Bacterial Biopolymer: Its Role in Pathogenesis to Effective Biomaterials

Abstract

Bacteria are considered as the major cell factories, which can effectively convert nitrogen and carbon sources to a wide variety of extracellular and intracellular biopolymers like polyamides, polysaccharides, polyphosphates, polyesters, proteinaceous compounds, and extracellular DNA. Bacterial biopolymers find applications in pathogenicity, and their diverse materialistic and chemical properties make them suitable to be used in medicinal industries. When these biopolymer compounds are obtained from pathogenic bacteria, they serve as important virulence factors, but when they are produced by non-pathogenic bacteria, they act as food components or biomaterials. There have been interdisciplinary studies going on to focus on the molecular mechanism of synthesis of bacterial biopolymers and identification of new targets for antimicrobial drugs, utilizing synthetic biology for designing and production of innovative biomaterials. This review sheds light on the mechanism of synthesis of bacterial biopolymers and its necessary modifications to be used as cell based micro-factories for the production of tailor-made biomaterials for high-end applications and their role in pathogenesis.

The regulatory effects of Pseudostellaria heterophylla polysaccharide on immune function and gut flora in immunosuppressed mice

“…The intestine not only has diverse functions, such as digestion, absorption, secretion but also is the main component of the body's mucosal immune system (Ghosh et al, 2021 ; Kurashima et al, 2013 ). The intestinal mucosal immune system deals with the stimulation of tens of millions of antigens including pathogens, food proteins, and microbiome everyday (Heller & Duchmann, 2003 ; Kurashima et al, 2013 ).…”

Bacterial Cellulose: Production, Characterization, and Application as Antimicrobial Agent

“…Biofilm refers to a consortium of microorganisms that remain embedded within the self-produced extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) upon the biotic or abiotic inert surface [ 101 ]. EPS includes exopolysaccharides, proteins, and extracellular DNA, which manifest the strong barrier against any external stresses such as antibiotics or host immune responses [ 102 ]. Biofilm is responsible for 80% of the microbial infections associated with bacteria, fungi, protozoa, viruses, or bacteriophages in the human body [ 103 ].…”

Microbial Fabrication of Nanomaterial and Its Role in Disintegration of Exopolymeric Matrices of Biofilm

“…Nanomaterials can have one, two, or three dimensions in the nanoscale, as exemplified by nanotubes, nanorods, nanoflowers, nanowires, nanofibers, fullerenes, dendrimers, and quantum dots (Tripathi and Chung, 2019). The microbiogenically synthesized nanostructures are preferred for their affectivity, convenience in production, and environment-friendliness (Ghosh et al, 2021). The microbial synthesis of NPs possesses various types of advantages in comparison to the other methods that include synthesis of nanomaterials with definite morphology, size, and chemical compositions.…”