Physicochemical characterization of high-quality bacterial cellulose produced by Komagataeibacter sp. strain W1 and identification of the associated genes in bacterial cellulose production

In the last few decades, bacteria capable of bacterial cellulose (BC) synthesis and the characterization of BC have been well-documented. In this study, a new BC-producing bacterial strain was isolated from fermented vinegar. The BC morphology, composition and diameter distribution, and the genes associated with BC production were analyzed. The results showed that one out of five isolates belonging to Komagataeibacter was a BC-producer, which mostly produced the typical cellulose I consisting of nanofibrils and had several functional groups similar to typing paper (i.e., plant cellulose). Several known genes such as glk, pgm and UPG2 in glucose metabolisms, bcsA, bcsB, bcsC and bcsD in BC synthesis and cmcax, ccpAx, bglxA and other genes in BC synthesis regulation or c-di-GMP metabolisms have also been found in the strain W1 based on genome sequencing and gene annotations. The functions of BcsX and BcxY might also be important for BC synthesis in Komagataeibacter sp. W1. Our study provided a new BC-producing bacterial strain that could be used to prepare high-quality BC and to study BC synthesis mechanisms.