Exopolysaccharide/EPS/Extracellular polysaccharide VS Endopolysaccharide/IPS/Intracellular polysaccharide from fungal mycelia have been extensively studied using numerous methods. What do you think is the best way to extract them?
1. EPS --- supernatant + washed mycelium [EPS is water-soluble as the EPS coats the mycelium]
2. EPS ---- supernatant only [EPS is dispersed in the liquid culture]
3. IPS ----- mycelial extract only [IPS is located inside the mycelium]
4. IPS ----- mycelial extract only (unwashed mycelium) [polysaccharide coating the mycelium belongs to IPS]
Questions: Water-soluble polysaccharide coating the mycelium belongs to EPS or IPS?
Reason A: It belongs to EPS as it is water-soluble
Reason B: It belongs to IPS as it coats the mycelium which considers as one source
Your expert opinions are highly appreciated.
Thank you
Best wishes,
Wan
Wan: EPS often is part of a structural component of the cell wall and linked to proteins, whereas IPS can be "free-standing" inside the cells. One needs to figure out such a nature in applying various methods of isolation. Good luck.
Hi Wan:
Thank you for asking interesting questions!
In my long career in microbial exopolysaccharides research and development, both in industrial and academic institutions, I worked on several thousands of mostly novel microbial exopolysaccharides sampled, isolated and screened from natural environments.
Microbial exopolysaccharides are not always water-soluble. There are water-insoluble microbial exopolysaccharides produced by natural microorganisms such as curdlan (Agrobacterium sp.) and bacterial cellulose (Gluconacetobacter xylinus) etc.
There are also water-soluble and water-insoluble intracellular polysaccharides inside fungal mycelia. Polysaccharides loosely coated on the surface of the fungal mycelium are, by definition, extracellular polysaccharides. Intracellular polysaccharides (both water-soluble and water-insoluble) are integral part of the microbial cellular components.
As you stated, to date, there are many published methods for the extraction of extracellular and intracellular polysaccharides from fungal mycelia. One needs to determine which method would be most appropriate for the specific fungal mycelia based on experimentation and optimization.
I hope the above would be useful to your research project!
With best wishes!
Chi-Chung Lin
Hi Prof Lin,
Thank you for your comments. Highly appreciated. I am interested in your publications on Ganoderma lucidum polysaccharides. Great work.
Best wishes,
Wan
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