Change in a Cell-Wall Component ofRhizoctonia solaniInhibited by Validamycin

Abstract
Cell-walls prepared from Rhizoctonia solani, cultured with or without validamycin (VM), and fractionated into four fractions (F-I, II, III and IV) by treatment with an alkali or an acid. A quantitative decrease in only cell-wall fraction III (F-III, glycan). i.e., not the other fractions (F-I, F-II and F-IV), due to VM inhibition was observed. The component sugars of individual fractions were investigated by means of acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis, paper chromatography or Smith degradation. From the results, fractions I, II and IV were each assumed to be proteoglycan, free glucose containing oligosaccharides or a chitin, respectively, while fraction III was assumed to be (1→3)-linked glucomannan containing small amounts of pentoses (ribose, arabinose and xylose). With the VM inhibition, the sugar components of the individual fractions, I, II, III and IV, were little affected, but in fraction III the amount of (1→3)-linked glucose or xylose increased, whereas the amount of (1→3)-linked mannose or -arabinose decreased. Thus, a change in the molar ratio of glucose to mannose was the major change observed in the component sugars of cell-wall fraction III from a VM-inhibited R. solani culture.