title: Differences in chain length distribution of inulin from Cynara scolymus and Helianthus tuberosus are reflected in a transient plant expression system using the respective 1-FFT cDNAs.
abstract: A newly isolated cDNA clone, Cy3, encoding the fructan fructan 1-fructosyltransferase (1-FFT) from artichoke was expressed using tobacco protoplasts as expression system. Analysis of the inulin molecules synthesized upon incubation of protoplast extracts with a mixture of oligofructans (DP3-5) shows the production of inulins with a degree of polymerization (DP) of up to 23, whereas parallel experiments performed using a 1-FFT cDNA from Jerusalem artichoke led to the production of fructans with a DP of up to only 12. The results of in vitro fructan synthesis catalyzed by transiently expressed enzymes therefore reflect the difference of in vivo fructan composition of Jerusalem artichoke (M(DP) = 8-10) and artichoke (M(DP) = 65). These data suggest that the fructan pattern in a given species is mainly defined by the enzymatic characteristics of 1-FFT.
authors.affiliation: Max-Planck-Institut für Molekulare Pflanzenphysiologie, Golm, Germany. hellwege@mpimp-golm-mpg.de
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Hellwege
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Raap
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Gritscher
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Willmitzer
authors.forename: A G
authors.initials: AG
authors.lastname: Heyer
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D005630:Fructans / Q000032:analysis / Q000096:biosynthesis; D006368:Helianthus / Q000201:enzymology* / Q000235:genetics; D007444:Inulin / Q000737:chemistry*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D010947:Plants, Toxic; D011523:Protoplasts / Q000378:metabolism; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D014026:Nicotiana / Q000235:genetics; D014170:Transformation, Genetic
chemical_list: D005630:Fructans; D010940:Plant Proteins; D007444:Inulin