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ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC AUTORADIOGRAPHY OF β‐GLUCANS SYNTHESIZED BY A MEMBRANE FRACTION FROM POLLEN TUBES OF PETUNIA HYBRIDA
Author(s) -
Helsper J.P. F. G.
Publication year - 1981
Publication title -
acta botanica neerlandica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.871
H-Index - 87
eISSN - 1438-8677
pISSN - 0044-5983
DOI - 10.1111/j.1438-8677.1981.tb00381.x
Subject(s) - fraction (chemistry) , membrane , alkali metal , hydrogen peroxide , chemistry , pollen tube , chromatography , amorphous solid , biochemistry , botany , pollen , biology , crystallography , organic chemistry , pollination
SUMMARY Alkaline extraction of a membrane fraction from Petunia pollen tubes left an alkali‐insoluble fraction that consisted of microfibrils embedded in amorphous material. The amorphous material was partially separated from the microfibrils by disaggregation with ultrasound or by solubilization with hydrogen peroxide/glacial acetic acid. Previously it was shown that incubation of the membrane fraction with UDP‐[U‐ 14 C]glucose gave an alkali‐insoluble fraction containing labelled β‐glucans. EM‐autoradiography of this fraction, after labelling with UDP‐[6‐ 3 H]glucose, showed that in vitro synthesized β‐glucans did not self‐assemble but bound strongly to pre‐existing microfibrils. Applicability of EM‐autoradiography for confirmation of in vitro synthesis of microfibrils is discussed.