Characterization of Cell Walls from Mucoralean Fungi by Biochemical Composition, Transmission Electron Microscopy and X-Ray Microanalysis

The cell walls isolated from the mycelia of Mucoralean fungi are largely constituted of microfibrillar fraction bound together by proteins, lipids, polyphosphate, and a variety of polysaccharides. The fibrillar fraction corresponds to chitin. Chitosan, is originated from chitin, and is a nontoxic copolymer. The objective of this paper was to investigate the biochemical composition of the cell walls of Absidia cerulea, Mortierella alpina, Mucor mucedo, Rhizopus arrhizus, and Syncephalastrum racemosum. The results showed the cell walls are largely constituted by carbohydrates, and the chitin microfribilles organization was characterized by transmission electron microscopy. The X-ray microanalysis showed the presence of Ca⁺² linked to the microfibrillar fraction, and that association was demonstrated for the first time in cell-walls of Mucoralean fugi.