The Effect of Energy Conditions of Cells on the Biosynthesis of Cellulose

Abstract

It has already been mentioned (Chapter 4) that a number of reactions involved in cellulose biosynthesis require ATP consumption. With CO₂ as a substrate, ATP is consumed in a cycle of regeneration of the CO₂ acceptor, in reducing 3-phosphoglyceric acid to 3-phosphoglyceraldehyde, in formation of NDPG from glucose-1-phosphate, and phosphorylation of dolichol or dolichyl phosphate. With exogenous glucose or sucrose as substrates, ATP is used for the active transport of sugars from free space inside the cell and for phosphorylation of glucose, subsequent reactions being similar to the aforementioned ones. Large amounts of ATP are doubtless consumed in the processes of formation and translocation inside the cell by elements of the Golgi apparatus which participate in the formation of matrix polysaccharides and their transport towards the cell wall and by the endoplasmic reticulum which delivers enzymes and prolinerich proteins to the plasmalemma.