Poly-γ-glutamate synthetase of Bacillus subtilis

Poly-γ-glutamate (PGA) is a most promising biodegradable polymer. In extracellular mucilage-producing Bacillus subtilis, the pgsBCA genes encode the membrane-associated PGA synthetase complex. It was recently speculated that PGA synthetase consists of both the intact 44 kDa and the in-phase overlapping 33 kDa-ywsC (corresponding to pgsB) gene products. This review covers current research into B. subtilis PGA synthetase and discusses the structural and functional features of the enzyme.