BETA-GLUCOSYLATED PROTEINS IN THE CELL-WALL OF THE BLACK YEAST EXOPHIALA (WANGIELLA) DERMATITIDIS

Wild-type cells of the pathogenic black yeast Exophiala (Wangiella) de rmatitidis grown in a low-pH ascorbate medium became less melanized an d less resistant to Zymolyase. This was accompanied by increased stain ing with fluorescently labelled concanavalin A. The sugar composition of wild-type and mutant cell walls was, except for the presence of gal actose, similar to that of Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Digestion of muta nt cell walls with laminarinase released galactomannoproteins. In addi tion, the released cell wall proteins contained glucose and reacted wi th affinity-purified 1,6-beta-glucan antiserum, indicating that they a re linked to 1,6-beta-glucan. It is proposed that 1,6-beta-glucosylate d cell wall proteins generally occur among ascomycetes.