PHYLOGENY OF PHOSPHOMANNAN-PRODUCING YEASTS II

Abstract

Slodki, M. E. (U. S. Department of Agriculture, Peoria, Ill.), Lynferd J. Wickerham, and M. C. Cadmus. Phylogeny of phosphomannan-producing yeasts. II. Phosphomannan properties and taxonomic relationships. J. Bacteriol. 82:269-274. 1961.-Primitive species of yeasts belonging to the genus Hansenula and closely related genera produce extracellular phosphorylated mannans from glucose. These polysaccharides, called phosphomannans, contain mannose and mannose 6-phosphate as the only carbohydrate constituents. A comparative study of these phosphomannans yielded valuable phylogenetic information bearing on the yeasts that produce them. Strains of the same species elaborate similar phosphomannans. An inverse relationship was found between the evolutionary status of the organism and the degree of phosphorylation of its phosphomannan.