Bacterial Dextrans Polyglucoses

In XLIX the chains may be long or short, linear or branched, and the D-glucose residues are mainly joined through the 1,6-position. These substances are discussed in more detail in a succeeding chapter (page 209). 

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Microbial extracellular polysaccharides can be divided into three groups on the basis of structural composition (Sutherland 1997). (1) Homopolysaccharides—These are comprised of a single structural unit that can be further categorized as (a) linear or (b) branched polymers. An example of a linear homopolysaccharide is bacterial cellulose (polyglucose). Branched homopolysaccharides are represented by levans (polyfructoses) and dextrans (polyglucose). 

With the exception of dextrans from L. mesenteroides, very little would appear to be known of the molecular size of bacterial polyglucoses. 

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