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Updated: Aug 17, 2026

Structural Characterization of Mannan Cell Wall Polysaccharides in Plants Using PACE
Published on: October 16, 2017
Biosynthesis and cell-wall deposition of a pectin-xyloglucan complex in pea
Carol M Cumming1, Hind D Rizkallah, Kimberley A McKendrick
1Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Plant Science Group, Glasgow University, Bower Building, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK.
Abstract:
Golgi-enriched enzyme preparations prepared from etiolated pea epicotyls incorporated [U-(14)C]galactose from UDP-[U-(14)C]galactose into the 1,4-beta-galactan sidechains of a pectin-xyloglucan complex. This complex could bind to paper and was degraded both by pectin-degrading enzymes and by a xyloglucan-specific endoglucanase. Gel permeation chromatography was used to assess the molecular size of the complex and of enzymically-degraded, galactan-containing fragments of it. Etiolated pea stems were labelled with [U-(14)C]sucrose for 1 h, and the newly-synthesised cell wall polysaccharides were extracted with EDTA or NaOH and fractionated by ion-exchange chromatography. The NaOH-extracted, acidic radioactive polysaccharides obtained in this way were also degraded both by pectin-degrading enzymes and by xyloglucan-specific endoglucanase. Analysis of the radioactive sugar composition indicated that neutral sugars characteristic of both pectin and xyloglucan were present. Analysis of the total non-radioactive, neutral sugar composition of the NaOH-extracted, acidic cell-wall polysaccharides indicated that pectin-xyloglucan complexes were a general feature of the cell wall in this tissue.
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