ABSTRACT
There are two primary reasons for a microbiologist engaged in fungal protoplast research to be interested in cell walls. First, familiarity with cell wall structure and its chemical composition is necessary for finding an efficient method for enzymatic removal of the wall and thus liberation of protoplasts. Second, an understanding of the mechanism of wall biogenesis may be helpful in creating the optimal conditions necessary for complete wall regeneration and reversion of protoplasts into normal cells. This chapter reviews the present knowledge on these two important aspects of fungal cell walls. Being a surface structure, fungal cell wall fulfills several functions connected with the interaction of the cell with its environment. The unique mechanical, chemical, and biological properties of fungal cell walls reside not only in their chemical composition but in the mode of spatial arrangement of the individual polymers in the wall. The chapter discusses biochemical reactions leading to the formation of individual cell wall components from simple precursors.
