title: Molecular origins of acetan solution properties.
abstract: Acetan is a branched acidic heteropolysaccharide secreted by Acetobacter xylinum. X-ray diffraction studies of oriented fibres suggest non-crystalline helices with fivefold symmetry and a pitch of 4.8 nm. Optical rotation and circular dichroism studies are consistent with the retention of the helical structure in solution and a helix-coil transition upon heating and cooling. Aqueous solutions yield high 'low shear rate' viscosity and shear-thin upon shearing.
authors.affiliation: AFRC Institute of Food Research, Norwich Laboratory, UK.
authors.forename: V J
authors.initials: VJ
authors.lastname: Morris
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Brownsey
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cairns
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Chilvers
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Miles
mesh_terms: D000091:Acetobacter; D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009904:Optical Rotation; D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial / Q000737:chemistry*; D012996:Solutions; D013696:Temperature; D014783:Viscosity; D014961:X-Ray Diffraction
chemical_list: D011135:Polysaccharides, Bacterial; D012996:Solutions; C068545:acetan