Polysaccharides of lichenized fungi of three Cladina spp.: significance as chemotypes

• Published in: Phytochemistry (Oxford) 2002-11, Vol.61 (6), p.681-686
• Main Authors: Carbonero, Elaine R, Montai, Anderson V, Woranovicz-Barreira, Sandra M, Gorin, Philip A.J, Iacomini, Marcello
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Ascomycota - chemistry; Ascomycota - classification; Biological and medical sciences; Chemotaxonomy; Cladina spp; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Lichenes; Lichenized fungi; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; Plant cytology, morphology, systematics, chorology and evolution; Polysaccharides; Polysaccharides - chemistry; Polysaccharides - isolation & purification; Species Specificity; Structure; Thallophyta
• ISSN: 0031-9422; 1873-3700
• DOI: 10.1016/S0031-9422(02)00363-1

The chemical structures of nigerans, an α-glucan, laminarans, a β-glucan, galactoglucomannans and galactomannoglucans of three species of Cladina, namely C. arbuscula, C. confusa and C. substenius, were determined and compared. According to chemical and spectroscopic analyses, the glucans investigated to date, which have been isolated in 15 Cladonia species, as well as the galactomannoglucans and galactoglucomannans, have similar principal structures. This suggests that, in terms of polysaccharide structure, Cladonia and Cladina genera do not show differences. DNA studies support this idea and it is proposed that Cladina be reduced to a synonym under Cladonia. Found in three species of the genus Cladina were nigerans with alternate (1→3)-, (1→4)-linked α-glucosyl (A) and laminarans with (1→3)-linked α-glucosyl units (B), galactomannoglucans (C), and galactoglucomannans (D). Identical glucans and the heteropolysaccharides with related structures have been shown in 15 Cladonia spp., examined to date, indicating that Cladina should be classified under the genus Cladonia.