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Updated: Jan 29, 2026

Structural Studies of Macromolecules in Solution using Small Angle X-Ray Scattering
Published on: November 5, 2018
Structural studies on bacterial system used in the recognition and uptake of the macromolecule alginate
Yukie Maruyama1,2, Wataru Hashimoto1, Kousaku Murata1,2
1a Division of Food Science and Biotechnology , Graduate School of Agriculture, Kyoto University , Uji, Kyoto , Japan.
Abstract:
Alginate is an acidic heteropolysaccharide produced by brown seaweed and certain kinds of bacteria. The cells of Sphingomonas sp. strain A1, a gram-negative bacterium, have several alginate-degrading enzymes in their cytoplasm and efficiently utilize this polymer for their growth. Sphingomonas sp. strain A1 cells can directly incorporate alginate into their cytoplasm through a transport system consisting of a "pit" on their cell surface, substrate-binding proteins in their periplasm, and an ATP-binding cassette transporter in their inner membrane. This review deals with the structural and functional aspects of bacterial systems necessary for the recognition and uptake of alginate.
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