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Succinoglycan is an industrially important exopolysaccharide biosynthesized by bacteria. In this study, mutant strain 18052 N-11 was obtained from the wild type strain Rhizobium radiobacter ATCC 19358 by NTG mutagenesis. It has a high yield succinoglycan of 32.5 g/L cultured in a 15 L-fementer for 72 h. Succinoglycan SG-A from the wild type strain has two components, and the molecular weights were 1.55 × 107 Da and 1.26 × 106 Da, respectively. While, succinoglycan SG-N from the mutant strain was a homogeneous polysaccharide, and the molecular weight was 1.01 × 107 Da. The molecular weight of both succinoglycan was higher than those reported in literatures. DSC thermogram of SG-A showed a higher endothermic peak than that of SG-N due to the higher crystallinity of SG-A. The dynamic frequency sweep test of SG-A and SG-N showed that the elastic modulus G' and viscosity modulus G" curves intersected at 65 °C, indicating the thermally induced order-disorder conformation. The results of effect of concentrations (2.5–15%) and temperatures (25–75 °C) on apparent viscosity of SG-A and SG-N showed that the succinoglycan solutions exhibited non-Newtonian, shear-thinning behavior. Both SG-A and SG-N showed an excellent emulsification activity. The characterizations and rheological properties make SG-A and SG-N prominent candidates in food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical and petroleum industries.

Curdlan is a neutral linear exopolysaccharide produced by Agrobacterium spp. under nitrogen-limiting conditions. In this study, we explored the role of glnA in curdlan biosynthesis in Agrobacterium sp. CGMCC 11546. The curdlan production of the ΔglnA strain was impaired, decreasing by 93% compared with that of the wild-type strain after 96 h fermentation. Analysis of fermentation profiles revealed that cell growth and utilization of carbon and nitrogen sources were impaired in the ΔglnA strain. Transcriptome analysis indicated that various of genes involved in curdlan biosynthesis were downregulated after 24 h fermentation in the ΔglnA strain, particularly genes involved in heme synthesis and the electron transport chain, which are essential for energy generation. Metabolomics analysis revealed flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) and adenosine diphosphate (ADP) accumulation in the ΔglnA strain, suggesting insufficient energy supply. Furthermore, glnA overexpression led to an 18% increase in the curdlan yield of the ΔglnA mutant compared with that of the wild-type strain after 96 h fermentation. Taken together, the findings demonstrate that glnA plays a vital role in curdlan biosynthesis by supplying ATP via regulating the expression of genes involved in heme synthesis and the electron transport chain.

Curdlan is a water-insoluble exopolysaccharide produced by Agrobacterium species under nitrogen starvation. The curdlan production in the ΔmdeA, ΔmetA, ΔmetH, and ΔmetZ mutants of methionine biosynthesis pathway of Agrobacterium sp. CGMCC 11546 were significantly impaired. Fermentation profiles of four mutants showed that the consumption of ammonia and sucrose was impaired. Transcriptome analysis of the ΔmetH and ΔmetZ mutants showed that numerous differentially expressed genes involved in the electron transfer chain (ETC) were significantly down-regulated, suggesting that methionine biosynthesis pathway affected the production of energy ATP during the curdlan biosynthesis. Furthermore, metabolomics analysis of the ΔmetH and ΔmetZ mutants showed that ADP and FAD were significantly accumulated, while acetyl-CoA was diminished, suggesting that the impaired curdlan production in the ΔmetH and ΔmetZ mutants might be caused by the insufficient supply of energy ATP. Finally, the addition of both dibasic sodium succinate as a substrate of FAD recycling and methionine significantly restored the curdlan production of four mutants. In conclusion, methionine biosynthesis pathway plays an important role in curdlan biosynthesis in Agrobacterium sp. CGMCC 11546, which affected the sufficient supply of energy ATP from the ETC during the curdlan biosynthesis.

Using NaClO2 pretreated Calotropis gigantea fiber (CGF) as the bio-template, three N-polymer functionalized fibers were fabricated by in-situ growth of polydopamine (PDA), polyaniline (PAN) and poly(m-phenylenediamine) (PmPD) along the fiber. The resulting adsorbents were applied to remove perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) from water. The adsorption process reached equilibrium within 3 h, and the maximum adsorption capacity was 207.3–232.8 mg/g. Electrostatic attraction, hydrogen bond and hydrophobic interaction participated in the adsorption process. Three adsorbents could be well regenerated, and the recovered adsorbents maintained higher adsorption percentage (≥80%) after five adsorption-desorption cycles. Among three adsorbents, PAN-CGF displayed remarkable adsorption performance on perfluorochemicals removal.

The hypothesis that the joint effects of predation and cyanobacteria favor the performance of small-bodied cladocerans relative to large-bodied species was tested using three competition experiments in a two-factor full-factorial design. The largebodied Daphnia pulex outcompeted the medium-bodied Simocephalus vetulus when fed a green alga Chlorella pyrenoidosa. However, the presence of the toxic cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa and the coelenterate predator Hydra oligactis reversed the competitive outcome. Their joint effect was significant and contributed to the strongest dominance of S. vetulus. Similar dominance shifts were also observed in the competition between D. pulex and the small-bodied Bosmina longirostris, and in the competition between S. vetulus and B. longirostris. Life table and predation experiments showed that the order of sensitivity of three cladoceran species to Microcystis and to Hydra was the same as the order of competitive superiority in the absence of cyanobacteria. Therefore, cyanobacteria, predation and their joint effects are important drivers for competitive outcomes among cladocerans, potentially creating new opportunities for small-bodied species to dominate in a community. The present study underscores the importance of considering the combined effects of dietary palatability and predation on competitive dominance among herbivores, when predicting zooplankton responses to frequent cyanobacterial blooms.