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Updated: May 20, 2026

Structural Characterization of Mannan Cell Wall Polysaccharides in Plants Using PACE
Published on: October 16, 2017
The carbohydrate-binding module of Fragaria × ananassa expansin 2 (CBM-FaExp2) binds to cell wall polysaccharides and
Cristina Nardi1, Cristian Escudero, Natalia Villarreal
1IIB-INTECH (CONICET-UNSAM), Instituto de Investigaciones Biotecnológicas-Instituto Tecnológico de Chascomús, Camino de Circunvalación Laguna, km 6, (B7130IWA) Chascomús, Pcia, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Abstract:
A putative carbohydrate binding module (CBM) from strawberry (Fragaria × ananassa Duch.) expansin 2 (CBM-FaExp2) was cloned and the encoding protein was over-expressed in Escherichia coli and purified in order to evaluate its capacity to bind different cell wall polysaccharides "in vitro". The protein CBM-FaExp2 bound to microcrystalline cellulose, xylan and pectin with different affinities (K(ad) = 33.6 ± 0.44 mL g(-1), K(ad) = 11.37 ± 0.87 mL g(-1), K(ad) = 10.4 ± 0.19 mL g(-1), respectively). According to "in vitro" enzyme assays, this CBM is able to decrease the activity of cell wall degrading enzymes such as polygalacturonase, endo-glucanase, pectinase and xylanase, probably because the binding of CBM-FaExp2 to the different substrates interferes with enzyme activity. The results suggest that expansins would bind not only cellulose but also a wide range of cell wall polymers.
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