Scleroglucan: biosynthesis, production and application of a versatile hydrocolloid

Since its first description in the early 1960s, scleroglucan attracted much attention from both academia and industry. Scleroglucan is an exopolysaccharide secreted by the basidiomycete Sclerotium rolfsii and appreciated as a multipurpose compound applicable in many industrial fields, including oil industry, food industry and pharmacy. In this review, the current knowledge on scleroglucan chemistry, genetics, biosynthesis and production will be summarized and different application possibilities will be discussed. The biosynthesis of scleroglucan in S. rolfsii will be highlighted by recent transcriptomic data and linked to physiological data to better understand the biogenesis of scleroglucan and its link to the phytopathologic lifestyle of S. rolfsii.