ABSTRACT:,B-(1-3)-D-glucan with (1-6) branching (L-FV-I) from Lentinus edodes in water was degraded into seven fractions of different molecular weights by ultrasonic irradiation. Weight-average molecular weight M w, radius of gyration , 112 and intrinsic viscosity [7]] of the ,B-o-glucan and its fractions in 0.5 M NaCl aqueous solution and dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) were studied by multi-angle laser light scattering (MALLS), GPC combined with MALLS, and viscometry. M w dependence of [7]] for the glucan in 0.5 M NaCl aqueous solution was represented approximately by [7]] =7.69X 10-6 M / 32 (cm 3 g-1 ) at M w from 1.87 X 10 5 to 1.20 X 10 6 at 25°C. GPC chromatograms of the glucans in aqueous solution contained two peaks, a main peak corresponding to triple-stranded chains with molecular weight Mw,m, and small second peak corresponding to fragments of single chains with Mw, (about 20±5% content). Analysis of Mw m and ,m 112 in term of the known theory for wormlike chains yielded 2180± 100 nm -1, 120± 10 nm and 0.31 nm for.molar mass per unit contour length ML, persistence length q, and contour length h per main-chain glucose residue, respectively, which agree closely with theory data of triple-helical chains and reported parameters for triple-helix schizophyllan in 0.01 M NaOH aqueous solution. The ratios of Mw min 0.5 M NaCl to M win DMSO were calculated to be roughly 3. The predominant species of the glucan in 0.5 M NaCl ~queous solution exist as triple-helical chains with high rigidity, and in DMSO as single-flexible chains.