The hyphal wall of Mucor mucedo. 2. Hexosamine-containing polymers

Nitrous acid, which specifically depolymerises polymers containing hexosamines with a primary amino group, was used to analyse the hexosamine-containing polymers in the hyphal wall of Mucor mucedo. N-Acetylglucosamine was found to occur in three polymeric fractions. One fraction which was solubilised by HNO2 treatment contained-N-acetylglucosamine interspersed with glucosamine; no homopolymer of glucosamine (chitosan) was detected. Another fraction became HNO2-soluble after treatment with pronase or alkali; this points to the occurrence of a heteropolymer containing N-acetylglucosamine and glucosamine in which some of the glucosamine residues are linked to peptides via their amino groups. The residue remaaining after pronase and HNO* treatment appeared to consist of a homopolymer of N-acetylglucosamine (chitin).