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Updated: Aug 8, 2025

Structural Characterization of Mannan Cell Wall Polysaccharides in Plants Using PACE
Published on: October 16, 2017
Diverse mechanisms of polysaccharide biosynthesis, assembly and secretion across kingdoms
Zachery Stephens1, Louis F L Wilson1, Jochen Zimmer1
1Howard Hughes Medical Institute, University of Virginia School of Medicine, Charlottesville, VA, USA; Department of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, University of Virginia School of Medicine, 480 Ray C. Hunt Dr., Charlottesville, VA 22908, USA.
Abstract:
Polysaccharides are essential biopolymers produced in all kingdoms of life. On the cell surface, they represent versatile architectural components, forming protective capsules and coats, cell walls, or adhesives. Extracellular polysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis mechanisms differ based on the cellular localization of polymer assembly. Some polysaccharides are first synthesized in the cytosol and then extruded by ATP powered transporters [1]. In other cases, the polymers are assembled outside the cell [2], synthesized and secreted in a single step [3], or deposited on the cell surface via vesicular trafficking [4]. This review focuses on recent insights into the biosynthesis, secretion, and assembly of EPS in microbes, plants and vertebrates. We focus on comparing the sites of biosynthesis, secretion mechanisms, and higher-order EPS assemblies.
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