ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF THE PHYSARUM-POLYCEPHALUM EXTRACELLULAR POLYSACCHARIDES

The extracellular polysaccharide formed by Physarum polycephalum during spherulation was produced by fermentation. Both cell yields and polysaccharide formation were adversely affected by the presence of ambient incident light. Crude polysaccharide was fractionated with acetone into two fractions (I. II). Fraction I was viscous and contained 3.5% sulfated and 0.5% phosohorylated sugar residues. The non-viscous Fraction II contained 0.4% sulfated and 22% phosphorylated sugar residues. Fraction II formed gels at pH=8.5 with calcium, magnesium, iron and zinc ions. Fraction I and unfractioned polysaccharide did not form gels under any conditions tested. Copyright © 1990 by Marcel Dekker, Inc.