Polysaccharides of lichenized fungi of three Cladina spp.:: significance as chemotypes

The chemical structures of nigerans, an a-glucan, laminarans, a P-glucan, galactoglucomannans and galactomannoglucans of three species of Cladina, namely C. arbuscula, C. confusa and C. substenius, were determined and compared. According to chemical and spectroscopic analyses, the glucans investigated to date, which have been isolated in 15 Cladonia species, as well as the galactomannoglucans and galactoglucomannans, have similar principal structures. This suggests that, in terms of polysaccharide structure, Cladonia and Cladina genera do not show differences. DNA studies support this idea and it is proposed that Cladina be reduced to a synonym under Cladonia. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.