A Potential Pathway for Galactose Metabolism in Cucumis sativus L., A Stachyose Transporting Species

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Abstract
Conversion of [14C]galactose (Gal) 1-P, UDP-[14C]Gal, or UDP-[14C]glucose to [14C]sucrose was observed when cell-free homogenates of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.) fruit peduncles were incubated with individual 14C-labeled substrates, appropriate cofactors, and fructose. The sucrose product was labeled only in the glucose moiety. Conversion of [14C]Gal-1-P to [14C]sucrose was catalyzed by extracts of peduncles from all other stachyose transporting species tested, as well as green bean (a sucrose transporter) but was not catalyzed by peduncle extracts from three other sucrose transporting species. In cucumber, the ability of extracts to form [14C]sucrose from [14C]Gal-1-P was greater when peduncles were harvested from growing fruit than from unpollinated ovaries. [14C]Sucrose formation from [14C]Gal-1-P was inhibited by Mg · PPi, Mg · UDP, UMP, and sucrose. α-Galactosidase, galactokinase, UDP-gal pyrophosphorylase, UDP-Gal-4′-epimerase, UDP-glucose pyrophosphorylase, and sucrose synthase activities were detected in peduncle extracts. Neither sucrose phosphate synthetase nor hexose-1-P uridyltransferase were detected. Peduncle tissue contained a small pool of free galactose. These results suggest a potential pathway for the metabolism of galactose moieties hydrolyzed from stachyose, the major sugar transported by cucumber plants.