Cell walls, fungal, crystalline

Jelsma, J. Kreger, D. R. Polymorphism in crystalline (l-3)-fungal cell-walls. Carbohydrate Res.. 1979, li, 51-64. 

Fungal cell walls are composed primarily of the highly crystalline polysaccharides, chitin and )8-glucan, and various nonhydrolyzable melanins (Peberdy, 1990). Section 8.07.5.4 describes the structure and decomposition of chitin. While chitin has been well studied, very little is known about the structure or in situ decomposition of melanins (Butler and Day, 1998). However, melanins are thought to be a possible humus precursor because of their similarities with humic acids (Saiz-Jimenez, 1996). 

The crystalline conformations and cell wall morphologies of typical fungal polysaccharides have been derived from x-ray fiber diffraction studies and microdiffraction analysis in the electron microscope. The recording of suitable diffraction data requires deincrustration and crystallization inducing treatments (7 ). From the recorded data it is possible to gain some idea of the intimate relation of various crystalline polysaccharides in the cell wall, although it is sometimes necessary to complement these studies with... 

Although the x-ray method has been very useful in the determination of crystal structure of polysaccharides, additional methods such as electron diffraction and electron mciroscopy coupled with selective enzymology are needed for understanding the behaviour of fungal polysaccharides in the native cell walls. Because the cell wall components are often crystalline, diffraction contrast methods of electron microscopy could prove valuable in future fine structure studies.(70)... 

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