Abstract
The chemical properties of a fungal B-cell mitogen obtained from the fruit body of Peziza vesiculosa were investigated. The non-dialyzable fraction (vesiculogen) of the hot water extract of P.vesiculosa was separated into mitogenic and non-mitogenic fractions by ammonium sulfate fractionation. The mitogenic fraction (precipitated at 20 to 60% ammonium sulfate) was composed of 75-80% protein and 17-19% carbohydrates. The mitogenic fraction was separated into 4 representative fractions by diethylaminoethyl-Sephadex A-25 and hydroxyapatite chromatographies, sequentially. In Sepharose CL-2B chromatography, all of the fractions showed wide ranges of molecular weight distribution. All of these representative fractions from Sepharose CL-2B were similar in amino acid compositions (rich in Ser, Glu, Gly, and Ala). These findings suggest that the mitogen is a high-molecular-weight, acidic polypeptide, showing charge and molecular weight heterogeneities.
