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Published on: October 16, 2017
In vitro biosynthesis of 1,4-beta-galactan attached to a pectin-xyloglucan complex in pea
Roula M Abdel-Massih1, Elias A H Baydoun, Christopher T Brett
1Department of Biology, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Abstract:
Particulate enzyme preparations were prepared from etiolated pea ( Pisum sativum L.) epicotyls and used to assay for 1,4-beta-galactan synthase using UDP-[U-(14)C]galactose. Optimum conditions for 1,4-beta-galactan synthesis were determined. The enzyme products were characterized by selective enzymic degradation, gel permeation chromatography and anion-exchange chromatography. Evidence was obtained for the formation of 1,4-beta-galactan chain attached to a pectic backbone containing both polygalacturonic acid and rhamnogalacturonan I. The results also indicated that part or all of this nascent pectin was present as a complex with xyloglucan.
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