| Abstract | 1. Trypanosoma mega, grown on two different media, provided polysaccharides containing fucose, xylose, mannose and galactose.
2. The proportions of polysaccharides of cells grown on BHI (preparation A and B) are influenced by the age of the culture.
3. Preparation A had 59% of galactopyranosyl units and appeared to contain a highly-branched heteropolymer(s).
4. Principal structures were 2,3-di-O-substituted galactopyranosyl units (31%) as the only branch points with 2-O- (10%) and 3-O-substituted (12%) galactopyranosyl residues as linear portions and end units of fucopyranose (14%) and glucopyranose (10%).
5. Mannose was liberated from the preparation by the action of α-d-mannosidase indicating the presence of α-d-mannopyranosyl side-chains units.
6. The 13C-n.m.r. spectrum of polysaccharide A lacks signals typical of a (1→2)-linked β-d-mannopyranan. This property differentiates it from Crithidia luciliae, with which it was thought to have a phylogenetic relationship.
7. The present results show that T. mega contains a mixture of polysaccharides which exist at least to some extent as conjugates with proteins. |
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