Ion-Exchange Properties of Isolated Cell Walls of Brown Algae: The Interstitial Solution

Kloareg, B., Demarty, M. and Mabeau, S. 1987. Ion-exchange propertiesof isolated cell walls of brown algae: the interstitial solution.—J.exp. Bot. 38: 1652–1662. Isolated cell walls of Pelvetia canaliculata (Dene) et Thur.,Laminaria digitata (L.) and other intertidal brown algae wereequilibrated in seawater and various mixtures of sodium andcalcium chlorides. After elution with distilled water, the interstitialsolution was assayed for ionic composition. With respect tothe external solution, it was less concentrated and containedlower proportions of divalent cations. Such modifications wererelated to the divalent ionic fraction and the total anion concentrationof the external solution. No significant differences were foundamong the brown algae investigated in spite of the differingcomposition of their walls. Results were analysed accordingto the polyelectrolyte condensation model. When the concentrationof the external solution was high (1000 meq dm³), experimentaldata were qualitatively in good agreement with the predictionsof the model. Key words: Cell walls, ion-exchange, Phaeophyta.     

Isolation and Analysis of the Cell Walls of Brown Algae: Fucus spiralis, F. ceranoides, F. vesiculosus, F. serratus, Bifurcaria bifurcata and Laminaria digitata

Mabeau, S. and Kloareg, B. 1987. Isolation and analysis of thecell walls of brown algae: Fucus spiralis, F. ceranoides, F.vesiculosus, F. serratus, Bifurcaria bifurcata and Laminariadigitata.—J. exp. Bot. 38: 1573–1580. Cell walls were isolated from six marine brown algae, Fucusspiralis, F. ceranoides, F. vesiculosus, F. serratus, Bifurcariabifurcata (Fucales, Phaeophyta) and Laminaria digitata (Laminariales,Phaeo-phyta). Yields of isolated cell walls ranged from 35–45%of thallus dry weight. Walls were composed mainly of alginatesand sulphatcd fucans, the proportions of which correlated withspecies zonation in the intertidal region. This result is consistentwith the hypothesis that the sulphated fucans are associatedwith the adaptation of macroalgae to the intertidal environment.Comparing the chemical composition of isolated cell walls withthat of whole plants, we conclude that alginic acid is mainlypart of the fibrillar wall while a significant proportion ofthe sulphated fucans probably belongs to the intercellular spacematrix. Since ascophyllan-like polysaccharides were more abundantin the fucan extracts from the isolated cell walls than fromthe whole plants, it is suggested that differences in the structureof fucans might be related to differences in their localizationthroughout the tissue. Key words: Cell walls, Phaeophyta, sulphated fucans