PROCESS FOR PRODUCING A BETA-GLUCAN POLYMER AND GENETICALLY MODIFIED MICROORGANISMS USEFUL IN THIS PROCESS

摘要

Process for producing a polymer consisting of a linear main chain of β-D-(1-3)-glucopyranosyl units having a single β-D-glucopyranosyl unit (1-6) linked to a β-D-glucopyranosyl unit of the linear main chain with an average branching degree of about 0.3, said process comprising the steps of: (i)culturing in a medium a genetically modified microorganism capable of producing a polymer consisting of a linear main chain of β-D-(1-3)-glucopyranosyl units having a single β-D-glucopyranosylunit (1-6) linked to a β-D-glucopyranosyl unit of the linear main chain with an average branching degree of about 0.3, wherein the modification confers adecreased activity - compared to a non-modified control microorganism of the same strain -of a hom2 gene product under conditions allowing said microorganism to produce said polymer; (ii)optionally recovering said polymer from the medium.