title: First report on polysaccharides of Asterochloris and their potential role in the lichen symbiosis.
abstract: A structural study of the carbohydrates from the aposymbiotically cultured Asterochloris sp., the algal symbiont of the lichen Cladina confusa was carried out for the first time. A xylorhamnogalactofuranan was purified and was predominated by (1-->3)-linked galactofuranosyl units with sidechains in position 6 on approximately 6.4% of the units. The sidechains have galactofuranosyl units 5-O and 6-O-substituted, as well rhamnopyranosyl units 2-O, 3-O and 2,3-di-O-substituted. Xylose was detected only as nonreducing end units, together with galactofuranosyl units. Amylose and a beta-(1-->4)-xylan were also present. These polysaccharides have not been found in the symbiotic thallus of C. confusa, which contained only glucans, galactomannoglucan and galactoglucomannan. A potential role of these carbohydrates in lichen recognition proccess is also discussed.
authors: Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Paraná, CP 19.046, CEP 81.531-990, Curitiba, PR, Brazil.
authors: Lucimara M C
authors: LM
authors: Cordeiro
authors: Guilherme L
authors: GL
authors: Sassaki
authors: Marcello
authors: M
authors: Iacomini
mesh_terms: D002240:Carbohydrate Sequence; D000460:Chlorophyta / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D005936:Glucans / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D008011:Lichens / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000502:physiology; D013559:Symbiosis / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D005936:Glucans