Record Display for the EPA National Library Catalog
RECORD NUMBER: 73 OF 1791Main Title | Amino-Acid Homopolymers Occurring in Nature [electronic resource] / | ||||
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Type | EBOOK | ||||
Author | Hamano, Yoshimitsu. | ||||
Publisher | Springer Berlin Heidelberg : Imprint: Springer, | ||||
Year Published | 2010 | ||||
Call Number | QR1-502 | ||||
ISBN | 9783642124532 | ||||
Subjects | Life sciences ; Biochemistry ; Microbiology | ||||
Internet Access |
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Collation | VII, 250p. 62 illus. online resource. | ||||
Notes | Due to license restrictions, this resource is available to EPA employees and authorized contractors only |
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Contents Notes | Occurrence and Production of Poly-Epsilon-l-Lysine in Microorganisms -- Biochemistry and Enzymology of Poly-Epsilon-l-Lysine Biosynthesis -- Biochemistry and Enzymology of Poly-Epsilon-l-Lysine Degradation -- Biotechnological Production of Poly-Epsilon-l-Lysine for Food and Medical Applications -- Occurrence and Biosynthetic Mechanism of Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid -- Enzymatic Degradation of Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid -- Pharmaceutical and Medical Applications of Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid -- Food Applications of Poly-Gamma-Glutamic Acid. Microorganisms are capable of producing a wide variety of biopolymers. Homopolymer peptides, which are made up of only a single type of amino acid, are far less ubiquitous. The only two amino-acid homopolymers known to occur in nature are presented in this volume. Poly-epsilon-L-lysine is a polycationic peptide and exhibits antimicrobial activity against a wide spectrum of microorganisms. It is both safe and biodegradable and is therefore used as a food preservative in several countries. In addition, there has been great interest in medical and other applications of poly-lysine and its derivatives. In contrast, poly-gamma-glutamic acid is an unusual anionic polypeptide. It is also water soluble, biodegradable, edible, non-toxic and non-immunogenic and can be chemically modified to introduce various drugs. These features are very useful for pharmaceutical and biomedical applications. Poly-glutamic acid is also a highly attractive as food ingredient. |