Fibrillar lignin or fibrillar pectin?

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Abstract
Previous work had demonstrated that an ultraviolet absorbing, fibriliar substance is present on the outer wall surface of suspension‐cultured cells and between adjacent cells. The fibrils were called lignofibrils on the basis of their resistance to enzyme attack, ultraviolet absorption, alkaline nitrobenzene degradation, and extraction by aqueous dioxane. However, more complete chemical analysis of the fibrils demonstrates that their major component is a linear polygalacturonic acid to which an ultraviolet absorbing compound(s) is attached. The term lignofibril for this material is therefore withdrawn. Extended fibrils exhibit no detectable close‐range order by X‐ray diffraction. Similar fibrils have now been observed in native tissues, but their biological function is still problematical.