Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026

Glycan Profiling of Plant Cell Wall Polymers using Microarrays
Published on: December 17, 2012
Structure-dependent modulation of a pathogen response in plants by synthetic O-antigen polysaccharides
Emiliano Bedini1, Cristina De Castro, Gitte Erbs
1Dipartimento di Chimica Organica e Biochimica Complesso, Universitario Monte Sant'Angelo, Via Cintia 4, 80126, Napoli, Italy.
Abstract:
Many phytopathogenic bacteria display lipopolysaccharides (LPS) with the O-chain repeating unit [alpha-l-Rha-(1-->3)-alpha-l-Rha-(1-->3)-alpha-l-Rha-(1-->2)](n)(). This trisaccharide unit was synthesized and oligomerized to obtain hexa- and nonasaccharides. The deprotected rhamnans were effective in suppressing the hypersensitive response (HR) and in inducing PR-1 gene expression in Arabidopsis thaliana. Conformational analysis of the oligorhamnans by NMR spectroscopy and molecular dynamics calculations revealed that a coiled structure develops with increasing chain length of the oligosaccharide. This is associated with increasing efficacy in HR suppression and PR-1 gene expression. We therefore infer that the coiled structure of phytopathogenic bacteria is a plant-recognizable pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP).
Related Concept Videos
Defenses Against Pathogens and Herbivores
Protein Glycosylation
Glycosylation occurs in...
Oligosaccharide Assembly
Multiple sugar molecules that may or may...
Proteoglycans
Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation
Damage or functional impairment of β-cells inhibits insulin production, leading to diabetes. Diabetes treatment primarily uses...
Biosynthesis of Polysaccharides

