Biosynthesis xyloglucans

Faik, A., Price, N.J., Raikhel, N.V. and Keegstra, K. (2002). An Arabidopsis gene encoding an a-xylosyltransferase involved in xyloglucan biosynthesis. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 99, 7797-7802. 

Another problem for biosynthesis concerns the fact that certain other, native plant-polysaccharides, most notably the xyloglucans found in higher-plant cell-walls,6 contain backbone structures of (1— 4)-/3-D-glucan, and it is necessary to consider whether separate enzymes synthesize these structures, and, if so, whether these enzymes could be confused with enzymes specifically involved in the synthesis of cellulose. 

Hemicelluloses are synthesized by glycosyltransferases located in the Golgi membranes. Many glycosyltransferases needed for the biosynthesis of xyloglucans and mannans are known. In contrast, the biosynthesis of xylans and j8-[1 3,1 4]-glucans remains very elusive [15]. 

R.M. Perrin, A.E. DeRocher, M. Bar-Peled, W. Zeng, L. Norambuena, A. Orellana, N.V. Raikhel, K. Keegstra. Xyloglucan fucosyltranseferase, an enzyme involved in plant cell wall biosynthesis. Science, 1999, 284, 1976-1979... 

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