%0 Journal Article %A Edwards, K. J. %A Jay, A. J. %A Colquhoun, I. J. %A Morris, V. J. %A Gasson, M. J. %A Griffin, A. M. %T Generation of a novel polysaccharide by inactivation of the aceP gene from the acetan biosynthetic pathway in Acetobacter xylinum %D 1999 %J Microbiology, %V 145 %N 6 %P 1499-1506 %@ 1465-2080 %R https://doi.org/10.1099/13500872-145-6-1499 %K novel EPS %K EPS biosynthesis %K aceP gene %K Acetobacter xylinum %K acetan %I Microbiology Society, %X The acetan biosynthetic pathway in Acetobacter xylinum is an ideal model system for engineering novel bacterial polysaccharides. To genetically manipulate this pathway, an Acetobacter strain (CKE5), more susceptible to gene-transfer methodologies, was developed. A new gene, aceP, involved in acetan biosynthesis was identified, sequenced and shown to have homology at the amino acid level with β-D-glucosyl transferases from a number of different organisms. Disruption of aceP in strain CKE5 confirmed the function assigned above and was used to engineer a novel polysaccharide with a pentasaccharide repeat unit. %U https://www.microbiologyresearch.org/content/journal/micro/10.1099/13500872-145-6-1499