chemistry

Microbial hyaluronic acid production

Microbial hyaluronic acid production is a chemistry topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Microbial hyaluronic acid production rather than just read about it. In short: Microbial hyaluronic acid production refers to the process by which microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast, are utilized in fermentation to synthesize hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is used in a wide range of medical, cosmetic, and biological products because of its high moisture retention and viscoelasticity qualities.

Key takeaways

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Reference excerpt

Microbial hyaluronic acid production refers to the process by which microorganisms, such as bacteria and yeast, are utilized in fermentation to synthesize hyaluronic acid (HA). HA is used in a wide range of medical, cosmetic, and biological products because of its high moisture retention and viscoelasticity qualities. HA had originally been extracted from rooster combs in limited quantities. However, challenges such as low yields, high production costs, and ethical issues associated with animal-derived HA has driven the development of microbial production methods for HA. Although there are other methods for instance chemical synthesis and modification, chemoenzymatic synthesis, enzymatic synthesis; microbial fermentation has been preferred to produce HA because of economical advantages.

Bacterial production Some bacteria, such as Streptococcus, develop an extracellular capsule that contains HA. This capsule functions as a molecular mimic to elude the host's immune system during the infection process in addition to providing adherence and protection. Streptococcus zooepidemicus was used for first commercially HA fermentation, and that is most used bacteria since provides high yields although it is a pathogen microorganism. Encoding of HA production is carried out by hasA, hasB, hasC, hasD and hasE genes in S. zooepidemicus.

Genetically modified producers were developed such as Kluysveromyces lactis, Lactococcus lactis, Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, and Corynebacterium glutamicum because of S. zooepidemicus's pathogeny.

Biological process

Intracellular factors

Metabolism Intermediates are used from pathways essential to support cell growth, such as the production of organic acids, polysaccharides during the HA production. HA is not an essential metabolite, and it competes other metabolites to attend the carbon flux in the cell. Reduction potential of S. zooepidemicus may have a role in hyaluronic acid production, because 2 NAD+ are consumed during the synthesis of one monomer. Although NAD+ does not control HA synthesis when NADH oxidase over-expressed, it has a big role in biomass formation. Some studies showed that balanced intracellular concentration of precursors and their fluxes balanced provides higher molecular weight such as UDP-acetylglucosamine concentration. Enzymes such as hyaluronidase, β-glucuronidase of S. zooepidemicus decrease yield of HA. HA concentration is increased by deletion of associated genes of these enzymes. On the other hand, some enzymes induce HA production such as sucrose-6-phosphatate hydrolase, and hyaluronan synthase. Using combined approaches with these two type enzymes is a good strategy for high yield HA production.

Membrane HA is produced around the cell, serving as a barrier against the host immune system by the bacteria. Only 8% of HA remains as attached the cell when cells arrived stationary phase. Biosurfactants such as sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) are used to gain this product. Hyaluronan synthase, that is a membrane-binding enzyme, is one of the factors that reduces the production of HA. Hyaluronan synthase limits hyaluronic acid production by affecting cell morphology.

Environmental factors

pH Organic acids formed during HA production by S. zooepidemicus cause pH to decrease Although HA production without pH control is cheaper, it prefers since provides high hyaluronic acid yields.

Temperature HA production is affected regarding to yield and molecular weight by temperature. HA production increases while bacterial cells are growing above 37 °C. However, HA yield decreases while molecular weight is higher with fermentation under 32 °C.

Aeration Although S. zooepidemicus is an aerotolerant anaerobe, hyaluronic acid production is affected by oxygen because NADH/NAD+ balance of cells changes with oxygen amount. Controlling oxygen during the cultivation via agitation rate provides increase both HA yield and molecular weight.

Culture Media Components The carbon source is one of the media components that has effects on production of microbial HA. Although the glucose is most used one as a carbon source for the HA production; molasses, sucrose, and maltose are used for microbial production. HA production needs also many amino acids in the culture media therefore nitrogen source concentration has a key.

See also Hyaluronic acid Streptococcus zooepidemicus

References

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Microbial hyaluronic acid production

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Microbial hyaluronic acid production claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In chemistry, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Microbial hyaluronic acid production before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Microbial hyaluronic acid production ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Microbial hyaluronic acid production

In research: Microbial hyaluronic acid production appears in chemistry research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Microbial hyaluronic acid production in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Microbial hyaluronic acid production is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Fermentation, Industrial processes, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Microbial hyaluronic acid production outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Microbial hyaluronic acid production in 20 minutes

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Frequently asked questions

What is Microbial hyaluronic acid production in simple terms?

Why does Microbial hyaluronic acid production matter?

Because it connects several chemistry ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Microbial hyaluronic acid production?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Microbial hyaluronic acid production.