Structure and Some Properties of Soluble 1,3-beta-Glucan Isolated from the Green Alga Caulerpa simpliciuscula.

The properties of the soluble beta-glucans formed during photosynthesis of the green siphonous alga Caulerpa simpliciuscula are described. There are two components in the soluble beta-glucan fraction. One has an apparent degree of polymerization of 37 glucose units and the other of 270 glucose units. The beta-glucan with the lower apparent molecular weight accounts for most of the mass in the beta-glucan fraction and is similar in properties to soluble laminarins reported in other algal and fungal species. The beta-glucan with the high apparent molecular weight contains most of the radioactivity accumulated in the beta-glucan fraction during short periods of photosynthesis.