These results are important in the understanding of
the relationship between cellulose synthesis and cell
growth. Some kinetic studies on the production of cellulose
by A. xylinum have been reported. Hestrin and
Schramm (9) first reported that cellulose production was
a linear function of cultivation time. Brown (10) studied
cellulose synthesis at 28°C in mineral salt-yeast extract
medium (carbon source o-glucose) inoculated with
Acetobacter acetigenum. He demonstrated that the
amount of cellulose produced increased exponentially
with increasing incubation time followed by a gradual
leveling off. Cellulose production associated with cell
growth appears to be a commonly accepted theory.
However, Kamide et al. (11) concluded from the synchronous
culture of A. xylinum IF013693 grown on
glucose medium in static culture, that cellulose was
produced when the cell number in the medium was constant.
Cellulose was not produced during the induction
stage of the logarithmic growth phase of the cell. Cellulose
production began when the cells entered the stationary
phase, although glucose was consumed at a constant rate during that period.