Chrysolaminarin Explained
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.
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]
Chrysolaminarin is also the major storage polysaccharide of most haptophyte algae.[5] [6]
Notes and References
- Beattie . Studies on the metabolism of the Chrysophyceae. Comparative structural investigations on leucosin (chrysolaminarin) separated from diatoms and laminarin from the brown algae . Biochem. J. . 1961 . 79 . 531–537 . 13688276 . Hirst . EL . Percival . E . 1205682 . 3. 10.1042/bj0790531 . etal.
- http://comenius.susqu.edu/biol/202/Protists/terms/chrysolaminarin.htm Basic definition of chrysolaminarin
- http://arnica.csustan.edu/boty1050/Protista/protista.htm Biological use of chrysolaminarin
- Pulz . Gross . Valuable products from biotechnology of microalgae . Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology . 2004 . 15300417 . 10.1007/s00253-004-1647-x . 65 . 635–48 . 6 . 42079864 .
- Book: Tsuji, Yoshinori . Yoshida . Masaki . Advances in Botanical Research . Biology of Haptophytes: Complicated Cellular Processes Driving the Global Carbon Cycle . Elsevier . 84 . 2017 . 978-0-12-802651-9 . 10.1016/bs.abr.2017.07.002 . 219–261.
- Penot . Mathias . Dacks . Joel B. . Read . Betsy . Dorrell . Richard G. . Genomic and meta-genomic insights into the functions, diversity and global distribution of haptophyte algae . Applied Phycology . 3 . 1 . 2022-12-31 . 2638-8081 . 10.1080/26388081.2022.2103732 . free . 340–359.
