CARBOHYDRATES AND SOLUBLE-PROTEINS FROM 2 ASCODESMIS SPECIES

Carbohydrate composition and the electrophoretic pattern of soluble pr oteins from Ascodesmis nigricans and A. sphaerospora were analyzed. Gl ycogen-like glucans were characterized as storage polysaccharides in b oth species. However, a differential behaviour was observed in the iod ine reactions. Chitin accounted for 19% of the alkali-insoluble materi al in A. nigricans and for 5.7% in A. sphaerospora. beta-(1 --> 3)-glu cans were characterized as cell-wall components. Although some qualita tive anal quantitative differences were observed in the electrophoreti c patterns, both were very similar, corroborating morphological studie s that consider A. nigricans and A. sphaerospora as closely related ta xa.