An alkali-soluble polysaccharide from the cell walls of Coprinus lagopus.

An alkali-soluble polysaccharide was isolated from the purified mycelial walls of Coprinus lagopus. The hydrolysis products, optical rotation, and infrared spectrum indicate a beta-glucan. Hydrolysis of the glucan after permethylation gave only 2,3,4,6-tetra-, 2,4,6-tri-, and 2,4-di-O-methyl-D-glucose. These methylated sugars and their relative quantities reveal that the glucan is a polysaccharide containing beta-1,3-linked glucose units with about 14% of the sugars having 1,6-linked branch points. Partial hydrolysis of the product derived from Smith degradation of the glucan released laminaribiose and gentiobiose suggesting that the branches are generally longer than a single glucose unit.