Intracellular feruloylation of arabinoxylan in wheat: evidence for feruloyl-glucose as precursor

Incorporation of (3)H]arabinose and (14)C]ferulic acid into soluble and polymeric fractions from suspension-cultured wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cells and the corresponding extracellular medium was studied. The major part of these products was identified as arabinoxylan and two proteins of 40 and 100 kDa. The time course suggests an intracellular synthesis of feruloylated arabinoxylan with feruloyl-glucose as substrate. In contrast, synthesis of feruloylated proteins appears to occur with feruloyl-CoA as precursor. Intracellular formation of ferulic acid dimers is limited to 8,5'-diferulic acid, while other dimers appear to be formed extracellularly. (3)H]Arabinose was incorporated into polymeric material in both the cellular and in the medium fraction while (14)C]ferulic was only found in polymers from the cellular fraction, indicating synthesis of both feruloylated and non-feruloylated arabinoxylan by the cells.