Sedimentation properties of chitosomal chitin synthetase from the wild-type strain and the 'slime' variant of Neurospora crassa.

Marked differences in the pattern of sedimentation of cellular structures were observed after isopycnic centrifugation of crude cell-free preparations from the Neurospora crassa wall-less 'slime' variant and mycelial wild-type strain. Kinetic studies of particle sedimentation showed that the various types of subcellular components, as revealed by turbidity, UV absorption, polypeptide patterns, and chitin synthetase activity determinations, sediment independently of one another. An important feature was the finding that chitin synthetase from 'slime' peaked at a median specific gravity of 1.1201 +/- 0.0036, whereas that from wild-type strain sedimented at a higher buoyant density (specific g…