Abstract

The average molecular weight of the water soluble hemicelluloses (hemicellulose B) of the Avena coleoptile cell wall was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and viscometry. Analysis of the neutral sugar composition of henucellulose B eluted from a GPC column (Sepharose 4B) indicated that it consists of β-glucan with a high molecular weight and arabinoxylan with a low molecular weight. A kinetic study of the effect of auxin on the molecular distribution of henucellulose B demonstrated that auxin decreased the β-glucan content of the hemicellulose as early as the first hour incubation, but not the arabinoxylan content, when it stimulated the extension of the coleoptile segments. Calculation of the weight-average molecular weight from the chromatograms suggested that auxin decreased the molecular weight of hemicellulose B; this was also confirmed by viscometry. Thus, auxin may cause cell wall loosening, leading to cell extension, through its effect on β-glucan degradation or through the decrease in the molecular weight of hemicellulose B.

Talk to us

Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have

Schedule a call

Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.