A novel spherical-branching bacterial cellulose biomaterial synthesized via glutathione guidance

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has emerged as a promising biomaterial due to its unique nanostructure and exceptional physicochemical properties. In this study, a novel spherical-branching BC structure was successfully synthesized through glutathione (GSH)-mediated biosynthesis, and the length and number of the branches were shown to be modulated by GSH concentration. Appropriate GSH supplementation altered the microscopic morphology and crystal structure of BC, including a reduction in fiber diameter, a morphological transition from rod-like to spherical bacterial cells, and an increase in crystallinity. Through controlled experiments and transcriptomic analysis, the effects of GSH on both the culture environment and physiological state of Komagataeibacter oboediens FHNH23 were systematically investigated, further clarifying its role in BC synthesis and assembly. In this work, a controllable spherical-branching BC material was first developed, and the mechanism by which GSH regulated the BC structure was revealed, which provided innovative insights into the biosynthetic regulation of cellulose materials and offered a solid theoretical foundation and practical guidance for the tailored development of new materials in environmental, biomedical, and related fields.