Characterization of two cell-wall polysaccharides from Fusicoccum amygdali

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Abstract
1. The nature of two polysaccharides (s020 values 6S and 2S respectively in 1m-sodium hydroxide), comprising a fragment (fraction BB, [α]D +236° in 1m-sodium hydroxide), previously isolated from cell walls of Fusicoccum amygdali, has been investigated. 2. Both the major (2S) and minor (6S) components were affected by incubation with α-amylase. The 6S polysaccharide was also attacked by exo-β-(1→3)-glucanase, which is evidence that it contained both α-(1→4)- and β-(1→3)-glucopyranose linkages. By fractionation of the products of α-amylase-treated fraction BB it was possible to obtain a water-insoluble polysaccharide, fraction P ([α]D +290° in 1m-sodium hydroxide, 67% of fraction BB) and a water-soluble polysaccharide, fraction Q ([α]D +16° in 1m-sodium hydroxide, 11% of fraction BB), both of which sedimented as single boundaries with s020 values (in 1m-sodium hydroxide) of 1.7S and 4.6S respectively. 3. Evidence from periodate oxidation, methylation analysis, i.r. spectroscopy and partial acid hydrolysis showed that fraction P consisted of linear chains of α-(1→3)-glucopyranose units with blocks of one or two α-(1→4)-glucopyranose units interspersed at intervals along the main chain. The 2S polysaccharide, from which fraction P is derived, evidently also contains longer blocks of α-(1→4)-glucopyranose units, that are susceptible to α-amylase action. 4. Fraction Q consisted of glucose (88%) with small amounts of galactose, mannose and rhamnose. Evidence from digestion with exo- and endo-β-(1→3)-glucanases, periodate oxidation and methylation analysis suggests that fraction Q consists of a branched galactomannorhamnan core, to which is attached a β-(1→3)-, β-(1→6)-glucan. In the cell wall, chains of α-(1→4)-linked glucopyranose units are linked to fraction Q to form the 6S component of fraction BB.