Bioengineered Emulsans

Emulsans are a family of lipopolysaccharides produced by the bacterium, Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. A series of studies have demonstrated that the structural features of these polymers can be manipulated by selective feeding of exogenous fatty acids or through the generation of transposon mutants deficient in fatty acid metabolic pathways. The results suggest that major shifts in fatty acids decorating the polysaccharide main chain can be achieved, leading to a family of structurally-related polymers. These changes result in significant alteration in the solution properties of the polymers, such as in emulsification properties and critical micelle formation. In addition, these structures can be used to explore important biomedical applications, such as vaccine adjuvants. This application was explored by macrophage activation in vitro and immunomodulation in vivo.