Metabolic relationships of the isolated fractions of the pectic substances of actively growing sycamore cells

1. d-Glucose and l-arabinose serve as precursors of the pectic polysaccharides of sycamore suspension-callus tissue. 2. The rates and characteristics of the incorporation of radioactive sucrose, glucose and mesoinositol by sycamore callus tissue have been compared and shown to be different. 3. The time-course of the incorporation of radioactive glucose into the major fractions within the cells has been determined. Approx. 7-10% of the radioactivity incorporated is present in the whole pectin of the cells. 4. A study of the continuous incorporation of radioactive glucose showed that the neutral arabinan-galactan fraction of the pectin quickly became saturated with the radioactive label. During the incorporation of radioactivity from a pulse of radioactive glucose the neutral fraction became progressively less labelled, with a corresponding increase in the radioactivity of the weakly acidic pectinic acid, which is known to contain neutral sugars. 5. When the cells were exposed to a pulse of radioactive l-arabinose, the label accumulated first in the neutral fraction and then after 4hr. it passed to the weakly acidic pectinic acid with a corresponding decrease in the radioactivity of the neutral fraction. 6. The product that was initially labelled during the first hour of exposure of the cells in the stationary phase to radioactive glucose was identified as an incompletely methylated galacturonan in which the radioactivity was present in the anhydrogalacturonide residues. This polysaccharide probably acts as the precursor of the polyuronide portions of both the strongly acidic and weakly acidic pectinic acids. 7. The observations are discussed in relation to the structure of the pectic substances and their function in cell growth and development. A tentative model for their metabolic relationship is put forward.     

The relationship of root-cap slimes to proteins

1. The patterns of incorporation of radioactivity from d-[U-(14)C]glucose into the pectic components of sections of sycamore roots changed so that sections nearer the tip incorporated relatively more label into arabinose and galactose compared with uronic acid. 2. Radioactive maize root-cap slime was prepared and found to contain three water-soluble component polymers which were electrophoretically (i) neutral, (ii) weakly acidic and (iii) strongly acidic at pH6.5. The neutral component was a glucan. The other components, which could be degraded by trans-elimination, consisted of an acidic backbone chain composed of galacturonic acid and glucose, attached to which were different proportions of neutral sugars. Arabinose, galactose and fucose, the main neutral sugars of the weakly and strongly acidic materials, were absent from the neutral fraction. 3. Fucose was a major sugar in maize-root slime and in a slime of similar composition synthesized by a maize callus of shoot origin. Only trace amounts were found in sycamore, pea and wheat root tips, and in pectin prepared from maize roots and coleoptiles. A high proportion of fucose is therefore a chemical characteristic of maize slime, and slime synthesis indicated a state of differentiation of the tissue. 4. The similarity between the slime and pectin is discussed; slime is a form of pectin modified in such a way as to provide a hydrated protective coating around the root tip.     

The pectic components of plum fruits

Pectic substances were extracted from plum fruit tissue and the whole pectin, crude pectinic acid, purified pectinic acid and neutral fractions were prepared. Each of the fractions contained galacturonic acid, arabinose, galactose, xylose and rhamnose. High voltage electrophoresis indicated the presence of neutral and negatively charged material, and treatment with pectinesterase showed that the neutral component was completely esterified. The three cultivars of fruits studied showed close similarities. The results are consistent with proposed models of pectin structure and indicate the probable existence of a continuous gradation with respect to degree of esterification and molecular size.     

Apple fruit pectic substances

1. The pectic substances of apple have been extracted and separated into a pure pectinic acid and a neutral arabinan–galactan complex by precipitation of the acidic component with ethanol and with cetylpyridinium chloride. 2. The composition of the fractions has been determined. The pectinic acid contained galacturonic acid, arabinose, galactose, rhamnose, xylose and several trace sugars. 3. Transelimination degradation of the pectinic acid gave rise to two components completely separable by zone electrophoresis and by Sephadex gel filtration. Analysis of these components confirmed that the pectinic acid molecules contained long chains of esterified galacturonosyl residues, but showed in addition that more neutral portions containing a high proportion of arabinofuranose residues were attached to them. 4. The identification of rhamnose, galactose and xylose in aldobiouronic acids obtained from a partial hydrolysate of pectinic acid has shown that these sugars are covalently linked in the molecule, and it is suggested that the galacturonosyl-(1→2)-rhamnose link is a general feature of pectinic acid structure. 5. The possible biological significance of pectinic acid structure has been discussed. 6. The arabinan–galactan complex contained nearly equal quantities of arabinose and galactose residues and some of its physical properties have been investigated.     

Enzymic degradation of apple pectins

Purified apple pectins extracted under mild conditions were degraded by purified pectin lyase (EC 4.2.2.10) and pectate lyase (EC 4.2.2.2). The degraded pectins were fractionated by gel permeation chromatography and the degree of esterification and the sugar composition determined for each fraction. More than 90% of the uronic acid residues can be isolated as homogalacturonan chains. The neutral sugar residues can be detected in the column eluates as high molecular weight fragments. Models of the apple pectin molecules are presented. In the models the neutral sugars are present as side chains, arranged in blocks (in so-called ‘hairy regions’). The galacturonate residues in the hairy regions are esterified with methanol.     

Lipid profile of cultured cells of apple (Malus sylvestris) and apple tissue

The potentiality of apple cell cultures to synthesize not only higher quantities of lipids than apple fruit but also different classes of lipids is noted. Total lipid was 15-fold higher in apple callus than in the original tissue. On callusing, linoleic acid decreased from 66% to 14%, while linolenic acid showed a very large increase from 0.9% to 44%. Stearic and oleic acids also increased in callus. The relative amounts of sterol/hydrocarbon and diglyceride fractions were higher in callus cultures, while apple tissue showed higher levels of triglycerides and sterol. Phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylglycerol seemed to be newly synthesized during callusing while other phospholipids such as lysophosphatidylcholine, lysophosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol and phosphatidic acid decreased. There was much higher glycolipid in apple callus than in the original tissue. The ratio of neutral lipid to polar lipid was higher in apple than in apple callus.     

Characterization of hop pectins shows the presence of an arabinogalactan-protein

Hop pectins were extracted from spent hops using acid extraction conditions and were characterized chemically. The acid extraction of spent hops resulted in a yield of 2%, containing 59% of polysaccharides. The hop pectins under investigation had a relatively high molecular weight and an intrinsic viscosity comparable to that of commercially available apple and citrus pectins. The low degree of methyl esterification of these pectins implicates that they are mainly suitable for use in calcium gels. The degree of acetylation and the neutral sugar content were relatively high.

A high molecular weight fraction which contained arabinogalactan-proteins was shown to be present in the hop pectin extract after preparative size-exclusion chromatography. Additionally, a fraction with a lower molecular weight was present containing mainly homogalacturonans. The arabinogalactans in the high molecular weight population consisted of (1→3)- and (1→3,6)-linked galactans highly branched with arabinose and galactose side-chains. The protein part of the arabinogalactan-protein (13%) was found to be rich in cystein, threonin, serinin, alanin, and hydroxyprolin. The molecular weight distribution of the hop pectin after degradation with the enzymes endopolygalacturonase plus pectin methyl esterase suggested that the arabinogalactan-protein present in the hop pectin extract was linked to the pectin and that the arabinogalactan-protein itself had a fairly low molecular weight.     

The Separation of Pectic Polymers from Apple Fruit Tissue 3

A column chromatographic system utilizing diethylaminoethyl(DEAE) cellulose equilibrated with phosphate buffer at pH 6.5has been found satisfactory for the separation of pectic polysaccharidesfrom apple fruit tissue. Increasing phosphate concentrationseluted in order from a sample of Bramley Seedling whole pectin,a neutral arabinan-galactan, a polyuronide and a ‘ poly-aldo-uronide’. Similar components were found in extracts from Cox's OrangePippin tissue. The pectic fraction soluble in neutral bufferat 20 °C was found to contain largely polyuronide. Sodiumhexametaphosphate at 95 °C extracted a much larger proportionof poly-aldo-uronide but this component was partially degradedduring extraction. A proportion of polyuronide remaining afterthis extraction could be liberated only by markedly degradativeprocedures and was therefore not characterised.     

Comparison of the structural features of apple and citrus pectic substances

Pectic substances were extracted from Alcohol Insoluble Solids from lemon peel (albedo) and fractionated by ion exchange chromatography and gelfiltration. The pectin molecules contained rhamnose, arabinose, galactose, glucose and galacturonic acid residues; xylose residues were almost absent. Degradation with purified pectolytic enzymes and subsequent gelfiltration of the resulting pectin fragments showed that the neutral sugar side chains were present in ‘hairy regions’ (blocks of neutral sugar side chains). The distribution of the methoxyl groups was studied by HPLC analysis of enzyme-degraded pectins. Some influence of native pectinesterase on the distribution of the methoxyl groups was found. The results are compared with those of similarly extracted and purified apple pectic substances.     

Alterations in Structural Polysaccharides during Liquefaction of Tomato Locule Tissue

The locule tissue of tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill.) undergoes extensive liquefaction during ripening. In this study, the solubility, molecular mass, and glycosyl composition of locule pectic and alkali-soluble polysaccharides were examined with the aim of identifying features contributing to the unique properties of this tissue. Ethanol-insoluble solids were prepared from de-seeded locule tissue from tomato fruit at the immature green (IMG), mature green, and breaker stages of development. Ethanol-insoluble pectins were extracted sequentially in H2O, 50 mM trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N[prime],N[prime]-tetraacetic acid, 50 mM Na2CO3, and 4 M KOH. At the IMG stage, nearly 85% of the locule pectins were solubilized by water, trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane-N,N,N[prime],N[prime]-tetraacetic acid, and Na2CO3 solutions. Solubility increased only slightly with further locule development. The noncovalently associated polymers were of high molecular mass throughout liquefaction. Polymers extracted in mild alkali were of considerably lower molecular mass. Locule pectins in IMG fruit were heavily glycosylated with galactose, arabinose, and xylose. All pectin classes exhibited similar deglycosylation trends during liquefaction. Locule hemicelluloses were rich in glucose, xylose, and arabinose. These polymers collectively showed molecular mass downshifts with minimal compositional changes during liquefaction. The KOH-soluble material also included xylose-rich acidic polymers not matching the neutral sugar profile of the noncovalently associated pectic polymers.     

Production of polysaccharides by callus cultures of common duckweed

Callus lines of common duckweed produced acid arabinogalactan and pectin in an amount varying from 1 to 3% of dry weight. The arabinogalactan specimens from the cell lines studied displayed a similar monosaccharide composition. The duckweed callus lines whose arabinogalactans contained apiose residues (1-2%) were found. All pectin specimens had a similar qualitative monosaccharide composition but differed in the quantitative content of monosaccharide residues. The lines with high contents of galactose, arabinose, and apiose in pectin specimens were obtained. The total content of neutral monosaccharide residues in pectins varied from 26 to 50%.     

Production of polysaccharides by callus cultures of common duckweed

Callus lines of common duckweed produced acid arabinogalactan and pectin in an amount varying from 1 to 3% of dry weight. The arabinogalactan specimens from the cell lines studied displayed a similar monosaccharide composition. The duckweed callus lines whose arabinogalactans contained apiose residues (1–2%) were found. All pectin specimens had a similar qualitative monosaccharide composition but differed in the quantitative content of monosaccharide residues. The lines with high contents of galactose, arabinose, and apiose in pectin specimens were obtained. The total content of neutral monosaccharide residues in pectins varied from 26 to 50%.     

Changes in the activities of some cell wall-degrading enzymes during development and ripening of Japanese pear fruit (Pyrus serotina Rehder var. culta Rehder)

1. Based on changes in DNA content per whole fruit and wholefruit weight during development, the development of Japanesepear fruit (cultivars Hosui and 93-3) was divided into celldivision, pre-enlargement, enlargement and ripening stages. 2. A climacteric rise in respiration with ethylene evolutionwas recognized although it was not very marked. 3. The ratio of pectinic acid to total pectin content increasedwith ripening. Total pectin content on a DNA content basis increasedclearly in the pre-enlargement and ripening stages, but roughlyremained constant in the cell division and enlargement stages. 4. Changes in the activities of cell wall-degrading enzymes,i.e. endocellulase, exocellulase, polygalacturonase, pectinmethylesterase and ß-galactosidase, were investigatedduring fruit growth. The activities per fresh weight of allenzymes, except exocellulase, were fairly high in the cell divisionand pre-enlargement stages, decreased in the enlargement stage,and increased remarkably with ripening or overripening, exceptfor pectin methylesterase. Endocellulase was present as an acidtype and neutral types. The former was more active than thelatter in the cell division and pre-enlargement stages, butwith ripening the reverse was found. On the other hand, theactivities, on a DNA content basis, in all the enzymes wereroughly constant, not decreasing during cell division, pre-enlargementand enlargement stages, but increasing extensively with ripening.That is, the lowering of these enzyme activities per g freshweight in the enlargement stage seemed not to be due to inactivationor stimulation of enzyme degeneration. The extensive enhancementsof cell wall-degrading enzyme activities with ripening or overripeningseem to be closely related to the softening or pithiness ofthe fruit. ¹ This paper is Contribution A-63, Fruit Tree Res. Sta. (Received June 11, 1976; )     

Decrease of polygalacturonic acid synthase during xylem differentiation in sycamore

The activity of a polygalacturonic acid synthase, a membrane bound enzyme, was measured in particulate preparations obtained from homogenates of cambial cells, differentiating xylem cells and differentiated xylem cells isolated from actively growing trees of sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus). The specific acitivity of the enzymic system fell at least 6–10-fold as cells differentiated from the vascular cambium to xylem. The percentage of radioactivity incorporated as galacturonic acid was 88% for cambium, 69% for differentiating xylem and 57% for differentiated xylem. The remainder of the radioactivity was in glucuronic acid. UDP-d-galacturonic acid-4-epimerase (EC 5.1.3.6) in the membrane preparation, therefore, probably enabled incorporation of radioactivity in the form of glucuronic acid by other synthases into polymers which are characteristic of secondary walls. Nevertheless, a considerable decrease of polygalacturonic acid synthase activity occurred which was correlated with the cessation of pectin deposition. This contrasts with the marked increase observed in xylan synthase activity as the cells differentiate.     

Methods for obtaining neutral and acid oligosaccharides from flax pectins

Esterified acid soluble pectins from flax (Linun usitatissimum L.) were degraded either with HCl or pectin lyase. Centrifugation and 2-propanol precipitation led to the isolation of two low molecular weight polygalacturonates after acid hydrolysis of pectins. However, after pectin lyase digestion and purification by size-exclusion HPLC, ¹H NMR analyses indicated that acetylated hairy regions, large methylated and acetylated oligogalacturonides together with small unsubstituted oligogalacturonides were produced. Thus, in a few steps, a panel of substituted neutral and acidic oligosaccharides was produced from a raw plant material. Such oligosaccharides could be useful for further fractionations such as chemical saponification and enzymatic removal of neutral sugar chains from the hairy regions. The procedures used for pectin extraction, for degradation, and for the purification of fragments seem appropriate for large-scale production of biologically active oligosaccharides from flax.Revisions requested 24 September 2004; Revisions received 4 November 2004     

Immunocytochemical localization of esterified and unesterified pectins in unpollinated and pollinated styles of Petunia hybrida Hort

Localization of pectins in the style of Petunia hybrida before and after pollination was investigated by immunocytochemistry using two primary monoclonal antibodies specific to highly (JIM7) and weakly (JIM5) methylesterified pectins. In the unpollinated style, esterified pectins occurred mainly in the cell walls of cortex tissue, while unesterified pectins were present mainly in the extracellular matrix (ECM) of the transmitting tract. After pollination no remarkable differences were found in pectin distribution in the ground tissue of the style. On the other hand, in the transmitting tract a reduction in the quantity of unesterified pectins was observed. Unesterified pectins in the extracellular regions of the transmitting tissue decreased before the penetration of the pollen tubes, indicating that pollination induces a reduction in the amount of unesterified pectins in the transmitting-tract ECM. The correlation between the degradation of strongly Ca2+-binding pectins and the growing level of those ions in the extracellular regions of the transmitting tract in the pollinated pistil of P. hybrida (M. Lenartowska et al. 1997) suggests that this process may constitute a mechanism for creating an optimum calcium medium for in vivo-growing pollen tubes. Both pectin categories were localized in pollen tubes. Esterified pectin epitopes were localized mainly in the vesicles of the tip cytoplasm. Unesterified pectin epitopes were found in the external fibrillar wall of pollen tubes.     

Pectins from the albedo of immature lemon fruitlets have high water binding capacity

The white part of citrus peel, the albedo, has a special role in water relations of both fruit and leaves from early on in fruit development. In times of drought, this tissue acts as a water reservoir for juice sacs, seeds and leaves. When water was injected into the albedo, free water was undetectable using magnetic resonance imaging. Microscopy showed tightly packed cells with little intercellular space, and thick cell walls. Cell wall material comprised 21% of the fresh albedo weight, and contained 26.1% galacturonic acid, the main constituent of pectin. From this, we postulated that pectin of the cell wall was responsible for the high water-binding capacity of the immature lemon albedo. Cell wall material was extracted using mild procedures that keep polymers intact, and four pectic fractions were recovered. Of these fractions, the SDS and chelator-soluble fractions showed viscosities ten and twenty times higher than laboratory-grade citrus pectin or the other albedo-derived pectins. The yield of these two pectins represented 28% of the cell walls and 62% of the galacturonic acid content of immature lemon albedo. We concluded that, from viscosity and abundance, these types of pectin account for the high water-binding capacity of this tissue. Compositional analyses showed that the two highly viscous pectic fractions differ in galacturonic acid content, degree of branching and length of side chains from the less viscous albedo-derived pectins. The most striking feature of these highly viscous pectins, however, was their high molecular weight distribution compared to the other pectic fractions.     

Pectin changes in samples containing poplar cambium and inner bark in relation to the seasonal cycle

Biochemical changes occurring during the transition between meristematic activity and rest were studied in samples containing cambial cells and their phloem derivatives from Populus x euramericana. Uronic acids represented around 9% of the cell-wall dry matter in spring and 7% in summer and winter. In contrast, a higher content of methylated galacturonic acids was observed during the rest period. The degree of esterification increased from 2% in spring to 35% in winter, indicating an important accumulation of acidic pectins during the active season although the cation content was always very low. Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy of neutral polysaccharides solubilized with boiling water showed that in winter arabinans and xylans were the main carbohydrates. By contrast, in spring and in summer the xylans were very scarce, arabinans being the major neutral polysaccharide, indicating that important modifications occur during the autumn. Histochemical observations of material treated with hot water and EDTA confirmed the low relative pectin content during the rest period. Calcium ions, detected as antimonate salt were scarce. In the cambium, they were located mainly in cell junctions whereas in phloem derivatives these cations were distributed throughout the whole cell wall.Abbreviations Araf arabinofuranose - COSY 2 D homonuclear correlation spectroscopy - NMR nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy - NOESY 2 D nuclear Overhauser effect spectroscopy - PATAg periodic acid thiosemicarbazide silver proteinate - PME pectin methylesterase - R wall radial wall - T wall tangential wall - Xylp xylopyranose We acknowledge support from the French Ministry of Research and Technology and also from the European Program Eureka 447/ Eurosilva.     

Feruloylated pectins from the primary cell wall: their structure and possible functions

Primary cell walls from exponentially growing cell-suspension cultures of spinach contained ferulic acid and p-coumaric acid esterified with galactopyranose and arabinopyranose residues of polysaccharides. The feruloylated polysaccharides behaved in exactly the same way as total cell-wall pectin with respect to (1) extraction with chelating agents, (2) extraction by trans-elimination degradation, (3) extraction with mild acid, and (4) electrophoretic separation into acidic and neutral species. Partial digestion of cell walls with Driselase, under conditions which specifically inhibited galactanase and galactosidases yielded galactose-containing feruloyl tri- to pentasaccharides, in all of which the feruloyl group was on the non-reducing terminus. Larger feruloyl oligosaccharides were also found, some of which were acidic. Partial acid-hydrolysis of cell walls gave a homologous series of feruloyl oligosaccharides, probably with the structure Feruloyl-arabinopyranose-(arabinofuranose)_n-arabinose where n=0–7. Evidence is presented that the arabinose chain was unbranched, with the feruloyl group on the nonreducing terminus. It is suggested that acidic and neutral pectins carry ferulic acid on the non-reducing termini of the neutral arabinose- and/or galactose-containing domains. The pectins carry approximately one feruloyl residue per 60 sugar residues. Possible rôles of feruloyl pectin in the regulation of cell expansion, in disease resistance, and in the initiation of lignification are discussed.     

桃果实采后贮藏过程中细胞壁多糖的变化

以‘雨花三号’水蜜桃果实为试材,分别在5℃（低温）和20℃（常温）贮藏一段时间后,研究桃果实采后细胞壁多糖降解、硬度以及乙烯释放速率的变化特征。结果表明,乙烯释放高峰明显滞后于果实采后硬度的快速下降期。不同温度下贮藏过程中果实细胞壁多糖变化的对比表明,低温抑制了细胞壁果胶和细胞壁其余组分的变化,从而抑制了果实的软化。富含半乳糖醛酸的果胶主链断裂。果胶和细胞壁其余组分也发生了半乳糖和阿拉伯糖等中性糖的损失,说明果胶和细胞壁其余组分的增溶及其侧链中性糖的降解也是桃果实采后软化的重要因素,这可能是由多种相关多糖降解酶的作用所导致的。但半纤维素多糖中中性糖的降解对桃果实采后软化的进程并没有影响。