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SynopsisBy means of alkaline extraction of the cell walls of the yeasts Saccharomyces cermisiue and Candida albicans, water-insoluble glucans were obtained. Methylation analysis and 13C-nmr investigation in dimethyl sulfoxide solution revealed the similar chemical structure of these glucans, being composed of p(1 + 3) glycosidically linked D-glucopyranmyl units with a small amount of p(1 4 6) linkages. More detailed study in dilute alkaline solutions and in the gel state a t neutral pH, however, showed that an ordered helical conformation of the glucan chain is less stable in the case of the S. cereuisiae glucan in comparison with that of C. albicans. Measurements of the shift of the absorption maximum of the glucan complexes with Congo Red also demonstrated such difference. The S. cereuisiue glucan was also inable to form a gel at neutral pH. The difference in stability of helical conformation of the glucans is explained on the basis of the methylation analysis, so that the S. cereoisiue glucan possesses longer side chains, which hinder its adoption of a stable helical conformation.

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