The Chemical Composition of Isolated Cell Walls of Cyanidium caldarium

Abstract

SUMMARY: The acid-resistant and heat-resistant alga Cyanidium caldarium yields cell-wall preparations which are unusually rich in protein (50 to 55‥) and contain only small amounts of polysaccharides (hemicellulose, 12 to 14 ‥ cellulose, 3 to 4‥). At least 13 amino acids are present in the cell walls, but diamino-pimelic acid, muramic acid and amino sugars are absent. It is suggested that Cyanidium is more closely related to the green rather than the blue-green algae.