Structural characterization of arabinogalactan-II and pectin from Urtica cannabina

Comparative analysis of extracellular and cell wall glycans from Urtica cannabina leaves was performed using chemical methods, GC, GC-MS, 1D, and 2D NMR spectroscopy. The structures of extracellular AG-II and cell wall AG-II are similar. The units are typical for AG-IIs: β-GlcpA-4-OMe-(1→, Rhap-(1 → 4)-β-GlcpA-(1→, attached to β-Galp at O-6, as well as arabinan chains attached to β-Galp at O-3. A single Araf and a trisaccharide formed by 2,5-Araf and two terminal Araf form short arabinan side chains in AG-II. 1,5-arabinan with a backbone substituted by a single Araf at O-3 was identified only in the side chains of cell wall AG-II. The side chains can be attached to O-3 and O-6 of the same β-Galp to form a bifurcated AG side chain. The backbone of AG-II is formed by 1,6- rather than 1,3-linked Galp, although it does include some 1,3-Galp. The high content of 3,6-Galp shows the highly branched nature of the AG carbohydrate chains. From the cell wall, AGP was extracted together with pectin, the simultaneous elution of which from both DEAE-cellulose and Sepharose may indicate a link between them.