Curdlan

Four genes required for curdlan production have been identified in "A. fabrum" ATCC 31749, which produces curdlan in extraordinary amounts, and the closely related A. tumefaciens. A putative operon contains crdS (Q9X2V0, family GT2, ), encoding β-(1,3)-glucan synthase catalytic subunit, flanked by two additional genes. A separate locus contains a putative regulatory gene, . A membrane-bound phosphatidylserine synthase, encoded by , is also necessary for maximal production of curdlan of high molecular mass. Nitrogen starvation upregulates the curdlan operon and increases the rate of curdlan synthesis. == Applications ==

Curdlan has numerous applications as a gelling agent in the food, construction, and pharmaceutical industries and has been approved as a food additive by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration. Its use is being evaluated in fat replacement studies in foodstuffs such as sausages, meat patties and other meat products ==See also==