The Synthesis of Polysaccharides by Bacteria Isolated from Soil

Abstract

Bacteria capable of synthesizing polysac-charides are present in various agric., moorland, and forest soils, and may form 5-16% of the viable bacterial population, as estimated by the plate-dilution counting technic. Chemical examination of the polysaccharides synthesized distinguished 4 types: levans, glucose-uronic acids, glucose-mannose-uronic acids, and glucose-mannose-rhamnose-uronic acids. Bacteria synthesizing these polysaccharides are well distributed in the soils studied, those forming the first 2 types being by far the most common. There is no clear relationship between morphology of the organisms and type of polysaccharide synthesized.