Characterization of two cell-wall polysaccharides from Fusicoccum amygdali

1. The nature of two polysaccharides (s(0) (20) values 6S and 2S respectively in 1m-sodium hydroxide), comprising a fragment (fraction BB, [alpha](D) +236 degrees 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 alpha-amylase. The 6S polysaccharide was also attacked by exo-beta-(1-->3)-glucanase, which is evidence that it contained both alpha-(1-->4)- and beta-(1-->3)-glucopyranose linkages. By fractionation of the products of alpha-amylase-treated fraction BB it was possible to obtain a water-insoluble polysaccharide, fraction P ([alpha](D) +290 degrees in 1m-sodium hydroxide, 67% of fraction BB) and a water-soluble polysaccharide, fraction Q ([alpha](D) +16 degrees in 1m-sodium hydroxide, 11% of fraction BB), both of which sedimented as single boundaries with s(0) (20) 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 alpha-(1-->3)-glucopyranose units with blocks of one or two alpha-(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 alpha-(1-->4)-glucopyranose units, that are susceptible to alpha-amylase action. 4. Fraction Q consisted of glucose (88%) with small amounts of galactose, mannose and rhamnose. Evidence from digestion with exo- and endo-beta-(1-->3)-glucanases, periodate oxidation and methylation analysis suggests that fraction Q consists of a branched galactomannorhamnan core, to which is attached a beta-(1-->3)-, beta-(1-->6)-glucan. In the cell wall, chains of alpha-(1-->4)-linked glucopyranose units are linked to fraction Q to form the 6S component of fraction BB.