The occurrence of glucosaminoglycan in the wall of Schizosaccharomyces pombe.

The major part of the wall of Schizosaccharomyces pombe consists of (1----3)-alpha-glucan and (1----3)-beta-glucan with some (1----6)-beta-linkages. Although in hydrolysed samples only a minute amount of glucosamine could be detected, this amino sugar may play an essential role as an integral part of a glucosaminoglycan/glucan complex. Treatment of the wall with either nitrous acid or chitinase changed the solubility properties of the beta-glucan, which suggests that the glucosaminoglycan/glucan complex is essentially similar to that found in walls of other fungi. An enzyme with properties similar to that of chitin synthase of other fungi, and probably responsible for the synthesis of the glucosaminoglycan, was detected in a mixed-membrane fraction.