title: Olive fruit cell wall: degradation of pectic polysaccharides during ripening.
abstract: Olive fruits at three stages of ripening (green, cherry, and black) have been studied. After cell wall isolation, the compositions of the cell wall and that of the phosphate-soluble polysaccharides were determined. In cell walls, decreases in arabinose, xylose, glucose, and uronic acid levels were observed, together with a slight increase in mannose on ripening. At the beginning of ripening, fragments of pectic polymers were the major constituents of the phosphate-soluble fraction, with the hemicellulosic ones increasing toward the end of the process. The molecular weight of the fragments solubilized was approximately 6 kDa. After cell wall fractionation, the pectic polysaccharides soluble in imidazole and sodium carbonate were also studied. In both fractions, between the green and cherry stages of ripening, a significant loss of homogalacturonans took place. Between the cherry and black stages of ripening, rhamnogalacturonan side chains were also released in addition to homogalacturonans. In any of the pectic fractions, changes in apparent molecular weight were quantified.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Biotecnología de los Alimentos, Instituto de la Grasa (Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas), Apartado 1078, 41012 Sevilla, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jiménez
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rodríguez
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fernández-Caro
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guillén
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fernández-Bolaños
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Heredia
mesh_terms: D001089:Arabinose / Q000378:metabolism; D002473:Cell Wall / Q000737:chemistry*; D005591:Chemical Fractionation; D005638:Fruit / Q000254:growth & development / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D005947:Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D008970:Molecular Weight; D010368:Pectins / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D010710:Phosphates; D011134:Polysaccharides / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D012995:Solubility; D014574:Uronic Acids / Q000378:metabolism; D014994:Xylose / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D010710:Phosphates; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014574:Uronic Acids; D010368:Pectins; D014994:Xylose; D001089:Arabinose; D005947:Glucose