title: Pectin microgels and their subunit structure.
abstract: High-performance size exclusion chromatography revealed that alkaline-extracted peach fruit pectin dissolved in 0.05 M NaNO3 comprised a hierarchy of at least four aggregated, macromolecular-sized species. Each of the three largest species was found to be comparable in length to the three smallest subunits of an interconnecting gel network visualized by transmission electron microscopy of pectin, rapidly dried from solution. The interconnecting subunits of the gel network were rods or segmented rods and the integrated network formed a circular gel about 1 micron in diameter. Shadowed samples prepared from 5 and 50 mM NaCl or aqueous glycerol solutions produced images of partially dissociated subunits.
authors.affiliation: Eastern Regional Research Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19118.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Fishman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cooke
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Levaj
authors.forename: D T
authors.initials: DT
authors.lastname: Gillespie
authors.forename: S M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Sondey
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Scorza
mesh_terms: D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D005638:Fruit; D005782:Gels / Q000737:chemistry*; D005990:Glycerol; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D010368:Pectins / Q000737:chemistry*; D010944:Plants / Q000737:chemistry*; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D012996:Solutions
chemical_list: D005782:Gels; D046911:Macromolecular Substances; D012996:Solutions; D012965:Sodium Chloride; D010368:Pectins; D005990:Glycerol