title: Solubilization of galactosyltransferase that synthesizes 1,4-beta-galactan side chains in pectic rhamnogalacturonan I.
abstract: beta-1,4-Galactan galactosyltransferase (GT) activity was solubilized from potato microsomal membranes in the presence of 78 mM 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulphonic acid. The solubilized GT activity transferred 14[C]galactose from UDP-14[C]galactose onto the acceptor-substrates composed of rhamnogalacturonan (RG) with short galactan chains (RG-A, approximately 1.2 MDa, mol% Gal/Rha = 0.7; RG-B, approximately 21 kDa, mol% Gal/Rha = 1.2). However, shorter RG containing short galactan chains (approximately 2 kDa and 1.2 kDa), RG oligomers without galactosyl-residues, galactan, and galactooligomers did not act as acceptor-substrates. Optimal pH for 14[C] incorporation onto RG-A and RG-B was around 5.6 and 7.5, respectively. The 14[C]-labelled products synthesized upon RG-A and RG-B could be digested with a RG specific lyase into smaller RG fragments. 1,4-beta-Endogalactanase could not digest the former product, whereas the latter product was digested to 14[C]galactobiose and 14[C]galactose. This demonstrates that at least two GT activities were solubilized from potato microsomal membranes. One had optimal pH around 5.6 to transfer galactosyl residues onto RG-A, whereas the other had optimal pH around 7.5 to transfer galactosyl residues onto RG-B. Both synthesized galactan attached to the RG backbone of RG-A and RG-B, and the galactan synthesized onto the RG-B acceptor was 1,4-beta-linked.
authors.affiliation: aBiotechnology Group, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark bPlant Biochemistry Laboratory, Department of Plant Biology, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Thorvaldsensvej 40, DK-1871 Frederiksberg C, Copenhagen, Denmark 1Present address: Plant Cell Wall group, Max-Planck Institute for Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Golm, Germany.
authors.forename: Naomi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Geshi
authors.forename: Markus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pauly
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ulvskov