In Vitro Biosynthesis of Homogalacturonan by a Membrane-bound Galacturonosyltransferase from Epicotyls of Azuki Bean

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Abstract
A membrane preparation of 7-d-old seedlings from azuki bean (Vigna angularis) contained galacturonosyltransferase (GalAT) capable of transferring galacturonic acid (GalA) from UDP-GalA into polygalacturonic acid (PGA) as an exogenous acceptor. The enzyme was maximally active at pH 6.8-7.8 and 25-35 degrees C in the presence of 5 mM Mn2+ and 0.5% (w/v) Triton X-100. Acid-soluble low-Mr (average Mr 10,000) PGA was a more efficient acceptor substrate than acid-insoluble polymer (Mr 70,000). The apparent Michaelis constants for UDP-GalA and low-Mr PGA were 0.14 mM and 0.02 mg/ml, respectively. Various pectins with different degrees of methyl-esterification (DE) were poor acceptors, and the enzyme activity tended to decrease with decreasing DE of the pectins. The transfer products from incubation of the enzyme with UDP-14C-GalA and the low-Mr PGA yielded 14C-GalA2 as the major product upon digestion with an endopolygalacturonase (EPGase), confirming the incorporation of GalA into PGA through contiguous alpha-1,4-linkages.

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