Abstract
Chitin is a fibrillar, crystalline polymer of N-acetylglucosamine. It belongs to the family of structural polysaccharides, as do cellulose, β1,3-glucan, β1,4-mannan, and β1,3-xylan. Chitin has not been found in higher plants, but is common in fungal cell walls [“fungine” of Braconnot (1811)] and in insect and arthropod cuticles [“chitin” from the Greek χιτών the name for the tunic worn by ancient Greeks and Romans (Odier, 1843)]. Chitin is also found in lower animals, e.g., in bristles of polychaetes and hydrozoan thecae, and in the cyst walls of ciliates, as well as in the cell walls of bacteria [d-lactic-acid-substituted chitin in murein (for a review, see Muzzarelli, 1977)].
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Anderson, R. G. W., Brown, M. S., Goldstein, J. L., 1977, Role of the coated endocytotic vesicle in the uptake of receptor-bound low density lipoprotein in human fibroblasts. Cell 10: 351–364.
Anonymous, 1975, Proposals for a standardization of diatom terminology and diagnoses. Nova Hedwigia Z. Kryptogamenkd., Suppl 53, pp. 323–354.
Ben-Hayyim, G., Ohad, I., 1968, Synthesis of cellulose by Acetobacter xylinum. VIII. On the formation and orientation of bacterial cellulose fibrils in the presence of acidic polysaccharides. J. Cell Biol 25: 191–206.
Blackwell, J., Parker, K. D., Rudall, ft. M., 1967, Chitin fibers of the diatoms Thalassiosira fluviatilis and Cyclotella cryptica. J. Mol. Biol 28: 383–385.
Bracker, C. E., Ruiz-Herrera, J., Bartnicki-Garcia, S., 1976, Structure and transformation of chitin synthetase particles (chitosomes) during microfibirl synthesis in vivo. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 73: 4570–4574.
Braconnot, H., 1811, Sur la nature des champignons. Ann. Chim. Phys 79: 265–304.
Dweltz, N. E., Colvin, J. R., Mclnnes, A. G., 1968, Chitan β-(1–4)-linked 2 acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucan) fibers of the diatom Thalassiosira fluviatilis. 3. The structure of the chitan from X-ray diffraction and electron microscope observations. Can. J. Chem. 46: 1513–1521.
Falck, M., Smith, D. G., McLachlan, J., Mclnnes, A. G., 1966, Studies on the chitin fibers of the diatom Thalassiosira fluviatilis Hustedt. 2. Proton magnetic resonance, infrared and X-ray study. Can. J. Chem 44: 2269–2281.
Giddings, T. H., Brower, D. L., Staehelin, L. A., 1980, Visualization of particle complexes in the plasma membrane of Micrasterias denticulata associated with the formation of cellulose fibrils in primary and secondary walls. J. Cell Biol 84: 327–339.
Haigler, C., Brown, R. M., 1979, The fluorescent brightener, Calcofluor White, alters cellulose synthesis in Acetobacter xylinum. J. Cell Biol 83: 70a.
Heath, I. B., 1974, A unified hypothesis for the role of membrane bound enzyme complexes and microtubules in plant cell wall synthesis. J. Theor. Biol 48: 445–449.
Herth, W., 1978, A special chitin-fibril-synthesizing apparatus in the centric diatom Cyclotella. Naturwissenschaften 65: 260.
Herth, W., 1979, The site of β-chitin fibril formation in centric diatoms. II. The chitin-forming cytoplasmic structures. J. Ultrastruct. Res 68: 16–27.
Herth, W., 1980, Calcofluor White and Congo Red inhibit chitin microfibril assembly of Poterioochromonas: Evidence for a gap between polymerization and microfibril formation, J. Cell Biol 87: 442–450.
Herth, W., Barthlott, W., 1979, The site of 0-chitin fibril formation in centric diatoms. I. Pores and fibril formation. J. Ultrastruct. Res 68: 6–15.
Herth, W., Zugenmaier, P., 1977, Ultrastructure of the chitin fibrils of the centric diatom Cyclotella cryptica. J. Ultrastruct. Res 61: 230–239.
Herth, W., Schnepf, E., 1980, The fluorochrome, Calcofluor White, binds oriented to structural polysaccharide fibrils. Protoplasma 105: 129–133.
Herth, W., Kuppel, A., Schnepf, E., 1977, Chitinous fibrils in the lorica of the flagellate chrysophyte Poterioochromonas stipitata (syn. Ochromonas malhamensis), J. Cell Biol 73: 311–321.
Kim, H., Binder, L. I., Rosenbaum, J. L., 1979, The periodic association of MAP2 with brain microtubules in vitro, J. Cell Biol 80: 266–276.
Mueller, S. C., Brown, R. M., 1980, Evidence for an intramembrane component associated with a cellulose microfibril-synthesizing complex in higher plants, J. Cell Biol 84: 315–326.
Muzzarelli, R. A. A., 1977, Chitin, Pergamon Press, Oxford, New York, Toronto, Sidney, Paris, and Frankfurt.
Odier, A., 1843, Memoire sur la composition chimique des parties cornees des insects. Mem. Soc. Hist. Nat. Paris 1: 29–42.
Preston, R. D., 1974, The Physical Biology of Plant Cell Walls, Chapman and Hall, London.
Robinson, D. G., 1977, Plant cell wall synthesis. Adv. Bot. Res 5: 89–151.
Robinson, D. G., Quader, H., 1980, Topographical features of the membrane of Poterioochromonas malhamensis after colchicine and osmotic treatment. Planta 148: 84–88.
Roland, J. C., Vian, B., 1979, The wall of the growing plant cell. Int. Rev. Cytol 61: 129–166.
Ruiz-Herrera, J., Sing, V. O., Van Der Woude, W. J., Bartnicki-Garcia, S., 1975, Microfibril assembly by granules of chitin synthetase. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A 72: 2706–2710.
Schnepf, E., Roderer, G., Herth, W., 1975, The formation of the fibrils in the lorica of Poteriochromonas stipitata: Tip growth, kinetics, site, orientation. Planta 125: 45–62.
Schnepf, E., Deichgráber, G., Roderer, G., Herth, W., 1977, The flagellar root apparatus, the microtubular system and associated organelles in the chrysophycean flagellate, Poteriochromonas malhamensis Peterfi (syn. Poteriochromonas stipitata Scherffel and Ochromonas malhamensis Pringsheim), Protoplasma 92: 87–107.
Schnepf, E., Deichgráber, G., Glaab, M., Hegewald, E., 1980, Bristles and spikes in Chlorococcales: Ultrastructural studies in Acanthosphaera, Micractinium, Pediastrum, Polyedriopsis, Scenedesmus, and Siderocystopsis. J. Ultrastruct. Res 72: 367–379.
Schnepf, E., Deichgráber, G., Herth, W., 1982, Development of cell wall appendages in Acanthosphaera zachariasi (Chlorococcales): Kinetics, site of cellulose synthesis and of microfibril assembly, and barb formation, Protoplasma, in press.
Schütt, F., 1899, Centrifúgales Dickenwachstum der Membran und extramembranoses. Plasma, Jahrb. Wiss Bot 33: 1–97.
Sloboda, R. D., Dentler, W. L., Bloodgood, R. A., Telzer, B. R. Granett, S., Rosenbaum, J. L., 1976, Microtubule-associated proteins (MAPs) and the assembly of microtubules in vitro, in: Cell Motility, Vol. C ( R. Goldmann, T. Pollard, J. L. Rosenbaum, eds.), pp. 1117–1212, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, Cold Spring Harbor, New York.
Zugenmaier, P., Herth, W., Lieser, G., 1981, Elektronenbeugungsuntersuchungen an Polymereinkristallen des. J-Chitins. Colloid & Polymer Sci 259: 472–473.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1982 Plenum Press, New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Herth, W., Schnepf, E. (1982). Chitin-Fibril Formation in Algae. In: Brown, R.M. (eds) Cellulose and Other Natural Polymer Systems. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1116-4_10
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4684-1116-4_10
Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA
Print ISBN: 978-1-4684-1118-8
Online ISBN: 978-1-4684-1116-4
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive