A structural glycoprotein, containing hydroxyproline, isolated from the cell wall of Chlamydomonas reinhardii

A soluble extract from purified cell walls of C. reinhardii has been separated by gel filtration into three fractions which together account for 94% of the cell wall. The major fraction (accounting for 70% of the extract) is a glycoprotein, with a molecular wt. in sodium perchlorate of 298,000, which can be split into 4 electrophoretically distinct species. It contains 35% protein with high levels of hydroxyproline, arabinose and galactose, and is capable of self assembly into crystalline structures identical to those found within the cell wall. The second fraction (25% of the extract) is a similar glycoprotein, but contains 24% protein, a higher proportion of mannose, and is incapable of self assembly. The third fraction (3–6% of the extract) is shown to be an adsorbed impurity from the growth medium used.