title: Pythium aphanidermatum: culture, cell-wall composition, and isolation and structure of antitumour storage and solubilised cell-wall (1----3),(1----6)-beta-D-glucans.
abstract: Under optimal conditions for the culture of the fungus Phytium aphanidermatum, no polysaccharides were excreted into the medium. The mycelium contained up to 38% of a slightly branched, storage (1----3),(1----6)-beta-D-glucan with a MW of 20,000. The cell-wall polysaccharides of the mycelium comprised 18% of cellulose and 82% of (1----3),(1----6)-beta-D-glucans. Of the non-cellulosic glucans, approximately 33% could be solubilised by extraction with water at 121 degrees, and they had a MW of 10,000, were highly branched, and contained 6% of (1----6) linkages. Treatment of the cell wall with 0.1 M trifluoroacetic acid released approximately 50% of the non-cellulosic glucans. The acid-soluble cell-wall (1----3),-(1----6)-beta-D-glucans of lower MW (6000) were still highly branched and contained 14% of (1----6) and 8% of (1----4) linkages. The storage glucan and the hot-water-soluble cell-wall glucan exhibited strong activity against the Sarcoma 180 in CD-1 mice, whereas the acid-soluble cell-wall glucans were inactive. The hot-water-soluble cell-wall glucan was also active against the DBA/2-MC.SC-1 fibrosarcoma in DBA/2 mice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacy, Christian-Albrechts-University of Kiel, Germany.
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Blaschek
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Käsbauer
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kraus
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Franz
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D002236:Carbohydrate Conformation; D002241:Carbohydrates / Q000032:analysis; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry; D005354:Fibrosarcoma / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005936:Glucans / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007700:Kinetics; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D051379:Mice; D008811:Mice, Inbred DBA; D008970:Molecular Weight; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000302:isolation & purification / Q000627:therapeutic use; D011775:Pythium / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D002241:Carbohydrates; D005936:Glucans; D011134:Polysaccharides