COMPOSITION OF THE CELL-WALL POLYSACCHARIDES IN SOME GEOPHILIC DERMATOPHYTES

The main polysaccharide fractions from cell wall material of several geophilic dermatophyte species were characterized as a glucomannan (F1S) which amounted to 4.0-6.5% and a glucan-chitin complex representing 44.2-71.0%. The neutral sugar content of fraction F1S in these species was mannose (38.7-78.2%), galactose (0.3-7.3%) and glucose (3.2-8.2%) except in M. fulvum (21.9%) and E. stockdaleae (12.5%). Small proportions of xylose, about 1%, were found in this fraction except in M. fulvum which reached 7.8% and in M. nanum which lacked xylose. The main products detected after Smith degradation were glycerol and glucose. From fraction F1S of M. fulvum a glucan (18.3%) and a mannan (41.5%) were obtained. These two polysaccharides could be used as chemotaxonomic characters for the definition of this group of fungi.