Chrysolaminarin
| Chrysolaminarin | |
|---|---|
 |
|
|
Other names
Chrysolaminaran; Leucosin |
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| Identifiers | |
| CAS number | 9013-94-9 |
| Properties | |
| Molecular formula | variable |
| Molar mass | variable |
| Melting point |
273 °C[1] |
| Solubility in water | Soluble |
 (verify) (what is:  / ?)Except where noted otherwise, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C, 100 kPa) |
|
| Infobox references | |
Chrysolaminarin is a linear polymer of β(1→3) and β(1→6) linked glucose units in a ratio of 11:1.[1][2] It used to be known as leucosin. Chrysolaminarin is arguably one of the most common biopolymers in the world with cellulose being the other.
[edit] Function
Chrysolaminarin is a storage polysaccharide typically found in photosynthetic heterokonts. It is used as a carbohydrate food reserve by phytoplankton such as Bacillariophyta (similar to the use of laminarin by brown algae).[3]
Chrysolaminarin is stored inside the cells of these organisms dissolved in water and encapsuled in vacuoles whose refractive index increases with chrysolaminarin content. In addition, heterokont algae use oil as a storage compound. Besides energy reserve, oil helps the algae to control their buoyancy.[4]
[edit] References
- ^ a b Beattie et al.; Hirst, EL; Percival, E (1961). "Studies on the metabolism of the Chrysophyceae. Comparative structural investigations on leucosin (chrysolaminarin) separated from diatoms and laminarin from the brown algae". Biochem J. 79 (3): 531–537. PMC 1205682. PMID 13688276. http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pmcentrez&artid=1205682.
- ^ Basic definition of chrysolaminarin, Susquehanna University
- ^ Biological use of chrysolaminarin, California State University, Stanislaus
- ^ Putz; Gross (2004). "Valuable products from biotechnology of microalgae". Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 65 (6): 635–48. doi:10.1007/s00253-004-1647-x. PMID 15300417. http://www.springerlink.com/content/gbbkaptetj1n76h3/fulltext.html.
