Abstract: Gellan gum is a new microbial polysaccharide derived from gram-negative bacterium Sphingomonas paucimobilis. Due to its many functional properties such as lower amount for effect,higher transparency,better acid,heat and enzyme resistance,more understanding compatibility,etc. It has been widely used in food,pharmaceutical,and chemical industries. The gellan gum structure was introduced in this article and the strain screening and mutation breeding,the steps of biosynthesis approaches and the detection methods were generalized. The crucial steps for a higher yield rate and better quality,which include single factor and cooperative factors,were summarized through discussing of the progress gum of research achievements. Furthermore,the development trends in the biosynthesis of gellan were viewed.

Key words: gellan gum, Sphingomonas paucimobili, sbiosynthesis, fermentation