The reticuloendothelial stimulant glucan, a beta-1,3-polyglucose component of the cell wall of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, was evaluated for its ability to modify Staphylococcus aureus-induced lethality in normal and leukemic mice. In normal mice the intravenous injection of glucan (0.45 mg per mouse) 7 and 4 days prior to intravenous challenge with S. aureus (1.0 x 10(9)) resulted in a significa...

BACKGROUND The role of glucan in stimulation of immune reactions has been studied for several decades. In this report we focused on the effects of orally administered glucan in children with chronic respiratory problems. MATERIALS AND METHODS We measured the levels of albumin, lysozyme and CRP in saliva of 40 children aged 8-12 years and evaluate the effects of 100 mg/d oral dose of glucan. ...

A chemical mutagenesis technique was employed for development of mutant strains of Sparassis crispa targeting the shortened cultivation time and the high β-glucan content. The homogenized mycelial fragments of S. crispa IUM4010 strain were treated with 0.2 vol% methyl methanesulfonate, an alkylating agent, yielding 199 mutant strains. Subsequent screening in terms of growth and β-glucan content...

High-molecular-weight polymers of alpha-1,6-linked D-glucans are insoluble in alcohol solutions. Whole, but not parotid, saliva prevented the precipitation of D-glucans by 80% (vol/vol) ethanol, showing that the whole saliva contained a factor which complexed with the glucan to render it alcohol soluble. The glucan-binding factor was retained on a column of Sephacryl S-200 which had been preequ...

β-Glucan is a beneficial chemical compound in the diet of humans by decreasing the levels of serum cholesterol and blood glucose. The β-glucan contents of oat groats were studied in official variety trials (1997–1999), nitrogen fertilization trials (1997–1999) and organic variety trials (1997–1998) in Finland. Eight cultivars were studied in the organic variety trials. Two of them, cultivars Pu...

(1,3)Beta-D-glucan synthase (EC 2.4.1.34. UDP-glucose: 1,3-beta-D-glucan 3-beta-glucosyltransferase) uses UDP-glucose as substrate and catalyzes the polymerization of glucose ([1,3]-beta-linkages) to form the major carbohydrate component of the fungal cell wall. We have optimized in vitro assay conditions for (1,3)beta-glucan synthase activity from Cryptococcus neoformans. Cells lysed in 50 mM ...

CWH41, a gene involved in the assembly of cell wall beta-1,6-glucan, has recently been shown to be the structural gene for Saccharomyces cerevisiae glucosidase I that is responsible for initiating the trimming of terminal alpha-1,2-glucose residue in the N-glycan processing pathway. To distinguish between a direct or indirect role of Cwh41p in the biosynthesis of beta-1,6-glucan, we constructed...

PURPOSE The effect of brewers' yeast (1,3)-(1,6)-beta-D-glucan consumption on the number of common cold episodes in healthy subject was investigated. METHODS In a placebo-controlled, double-blind, randomized, multicentric clinical trial, 162 healthy participants with recurring infections received 900 mg of either placebo (n = 81) or an insoluble yeast (1,3)-(1,6)-beta-D-glucan preparation (n ...

The formation of water-insoluble glucan by extracellular glucosyltransferase from Streptococcus mutans 6715 found to be greatly stimulated by various mono- or divalent cations. An enzyme preparation, obtained by ethanol fractionation, was able to catalyze the formation of water-insoluble glucan from sucrose in the presence of monovalent cations above 100mM or divalent cations above 20 mM at neu...

Dwarf maize (Zea mays L.), a mutant deficient in gibberellin synthesis, provides an excellent model to study the influence of gibberellin on biochemical processes related to plant development. Alterations in the chemical structure of the cell wall mediated by gibberellin were examined in seedlings of this mutant. The composition of the walls of roots, mesocotyl, coleoptile, and primary leaves o...