Variation of xyloglucan substitution pattern affects the sorption on celluloses with different degrees of crystallinity

Abstract

The sorption of xyloglucan (XG) on cellulose is a basic feature of the supramolecular assembly of plant cell walls. The binding to cellulose of xyloglucan fractions from Rubus fruticosus suspension-cultured cells with different substitution patterns was assayed on celluloses having various degrees of crystallinity between 20 and 95%. The primary structure of XGs differing in their Xyl/Glc ratio affected their binding to cellulose. The less substituted XGs gave the highest binding yields. Selective removal of the terminal fucosyl residues of XGs differentially affected the binding depending on the crystallinity of cellulose. The results showed large variations on the way cellulose crystallinity affects the binding interaction of XGs. Interestingly, one of the highest binding capacities was exhibited by the primary cell wall cellulose isolated from the actual R. fruticosus cells which also had the lowest crystallinity. Differences in binding to primary wall cellulose appeared to be inversely related to the global substitution of the glucan main chain of XGs.