Distribution of pectic epitopes in cell walls of the sugar beet root

Immunolabelling techniques with antibodies specific to partially methyl-esterified homogalacturonan (JIM5: unesterified residues flanked by methylesterified residues. JIM7: methyl-esterified residues flanked by unesterified residues), a blockwise de-esterified homogalacturonan (2F4), 1,4-galactan (LM5) and 1,5-arabinan (LM6) were used to map the distribution of pectin motifs in cell walls of sugar beet root (Beta vulgaris). PME and alkali treatments of sections were used in conjunction with JIM5-7 and 2F4. The JIM7 epitope was abundant and equally distributed in all cells. In storage parenchyma, the JIM5 epitope was restricted to some cell junctions and the lining of intercellular spaces while in vascular tissues it occurred at cell junctions in some phloem walls and in xylem derivatives. After secondary wall formation, the JIM5 epitope was restricted to inner cell wall regions between secondary thickenings. The 2F4 epitope was not detected without de-esterification treatment. PME treatments prior to the use of 2F4 indicated that HG at cell corners was not acetylated. The LM5 epitope was mainly present in the cambial zone and when present in storage parenchyma, it was restricted to the wall region closest to the plasma membrane. The LM6 epitope was widely distributed throughout primary walls but was more abundant in bundles than in medullar ray tissue and storage parenchyma. These data show that the occurrence of oligosaccharide motifs of pectic polysaccharides are spatially regulated in sugar beet root cell walls and that the spatial patterns vary between cell types suggesting that structural variants of pectic polymers are involved in the modulation of cell wall properties.