Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 29, 2026

Structural Characterization of Mannan Cell Wall Polysaccharides in Plants Using PACE
Published on: October 16, 2017
Structures of wall heterogalactomannans isolated from three genera of entomopathogenic fungi
Manuel Bernabé1, Davinia Salvachúa, Jesús Jiménez-Barbero
1Departamento de Química Orgánica Biológica, Instituto de Química Orgánica, CSIC, Juan de la Cierva, Madrid, Spain.
Abstract:
O-linked heterogalactomannans with similar structural features have been purified from the fungal walls of the entomopathogenic fungi Lecanicillium muscarium, Beauveria bassiana, Beauveriabrongniartii, and Cordyceps sphingum. Their composition and structure have been determined using acid hydrolysis, methylation analysis, gas-liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR). All structures have an α-(1→6)-mannose backbone, but one of the two strains of L. muscarium included in this study contained an acidic heterogalactomannan instead of the neutral polysaccharide isolated in the rest of the species analyzed. Sequence analysis of the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region of this strain indicated that it belongs to the related genus Simplicillium, displaying low identity (83%) with the closest Lecanicillium species. This is a new demonstration of the structural diversity of fungal wall heteromannans and validates their interest as chemotaxonomic markers. The production of a pullulan-like extracellular polysaccharide in strain CBS 413.70C of L. muscarium is also reported.
Related Concept Videos
Archaeal Cell Wall
Overview of Fungi
Cellulose and Pectic Polysaccharides
As a cell matures, its cell wall specializes according to its type. For example, the parenchyma cells of...
Bacterial Cell Wall
Bacterial Phylum Tenericutes
Antifungal Agents

