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In-vivo formation of xyloglucan nonasaccharide: A possible biologically active cell-wall fragment

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Abstract

The in-vivo formation of a specific nonasaccharide of xyloglucan was investigated. This nonasaccharide has been reported to have biological activity, inhibiting auxin-induced growth in pea stem segments. Cell-suspension cultures of spinach were grown in the presence of [3H]arabinose and [3H]fucose, and the culture-filtrates were examined for oligosaccharides by gelpermeation chromatography and by paper chromatography. Sixteen [3H]pentose-containing oligosaccharides were found, including twelve that contained the sequence [3H]xylosyl-α(1→6)-glucose, which is diagnostic of xyloglucan. In addition, [3H]fucose-containing oligosaccharides of at least three sizes were found. Radiochemical evidence is presented that one of these oligosaccharides was labelled with both [3H]fucose and with [3H]pentose, and was identical with the major xyloglucan-derived nonasaccharide associated with anti-auxin activity. It was largely present in the form of acylated (possibly acetylated) derivatives. It accumulated extracellularly to a steady-state concentration of about 4.3·10-7M. This is the first report of the production of a biologically-active oligosaccharide by living plant cells.

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Abbreviations

BAB:

butanone/acetic acid/H3BO3-saturated water (9:1:1)

BAW:

butan-1-ol/acetic acid/water (12:3:5)

BPW:

butan-1-ol/pyridine/water/(4:3:4)

DP:

degree of polymerisation

FAW:

ethyl acetate/acetic acid/water (10:5:6)

EPW:

ethyl acetate/pyridine/water (8:2:1)

k av :

elution volume relative to Blue Dextran (k av.=0.0) and glucose (k av.=1.0)

XG7:

XG9 minus the fucose and galactose residues

XG9:

the particular xyloglucan nonasaccharide illustrated in Fig. 1

ΦW:

water-saturated phenol

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  1. Department of Botany, University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Mayfield Road, EH9 3JH, Edinburgh, UK

    S. C. Fry

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Fry, S.C. In-vivo formation of xyloglucan nonasaccharide: A possible biologically active cell-wall fragment. Planta 169, 443–453 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392143

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00392143

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