Studies on the secretion of maize root cap slime: I. Some properties of the secreted polymer

The secreted slime from root cap cells of corn (Zea mays, cv. SX-17) was studied. Production of slime by excised root tips is stimulated by the addition of 40 mM sucrose or fucose and half-strength Hoagland's solution to the incubation medium. Secreted slime was recovered from aqueous solution by precipitation with ethanol. The polymer has a molecular weight greater than 2 x 10(-6) daltons and a density of 1.63 g cm(-3). Protein is not present in material purified by density gradient centrifugation with cesium chloride. Fucose (39%) and galactose (30%) are the principle neutral sugars found in the purified polymer. Galacturonic and glucuronic acids, arabinose, xylose, mannose, and glucose are also present.