The composition of the cell walls of strains of Histoplasma capsulatum that were reactive in the complement-fixation test and that reacted with fluorescein-tagged specific anti-H. capsulatum serum were compared with the cell walls of H. capsulatum and Histoplasma duboisii that did not react in these serological tests. The cell walls of the serologically reactive strains of H. capsulatum were mu...

Recent experiments have illuminated a remarkable growth mechanism of rod-shaped bacteria: proteins associated with cell wall extension move at constant velocity in circles oriented approximately along the cell circumference [Garner EC, et al., (2011) Science 333:222-225], [Domínguez-Escobar J, et al. (2011) Science 333:225-228], [van Teeffelen S, et al. (2011) PNAS 108:15822-15827]. We view the...

Group D Types 1 and 26 cell walls and the corresponding type-specific carbohydrates, extracted from the walls by various means, contain rhamnose, glucose, galactose, N-acetylglucosamine, and N-acetylgalactosamine. Mucopeptide elements are also present in the walls and in enzymatically-extracted carbohydrates. Types 1 and 26 carbohydrates extracted by formamide contain no mucopeptide, but the se...

The plant cell wall is a highly complex and dynamic structure made up of cellulose, hemicelluloses, pectins, lignin, and numerous proteins and inorganic molecules (Carpita and McCann, 2000). The hemicellulose xyloglucan (XyG) is found in the cell walls of all vascular plants and is the major hemicellulose in the primary cell wall of eudicots and nongraminaceous monocots, where it is believed to...

The genome sequence of the moss Physcomitrella patens has stimulated new research examining the cell wall polysaccharides of mosses and the glycosyl transferases that synthesize them as a means to understand fundamental processes of cell wall biosynthesis and plant cell wall evolution. The cell walls of mosses and vascular plants are composed of the same classes of polysaccharides, but with dif...

The emergence of fungal infections as major causes of morbidity and mortality in immunosuppressed individuals has prompted studies into how the host recognizes fungal pathogens. Fungi are eukaryotes and as such share many similarities with mammalian cells. The most striking difference, though, is the presence of a cell wall that serves to protect the fungus from environmental stresses, particul...