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The Metabolism and Function of Homogalacturonan in Plant Cell Wall
Yu Youjian1,2, Shen Xiuping1,2, Cao Jiashu1,2*
1Laboratory of Cell & Molecular Biology, Institute of Vegetable Science, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310029, China; 2Key Laboratory of Horticultural Plant Growth, Development and Quality Improvement,Ministry of Agriculture, Hangzho
Abstract: Pectin， as an important component of the cell wall polysaccharides， is essential for normal growth and development of plants. In the primary cell wall， one of the main component of pectin is homogalacturonan (HG)， a homopolymer of α-1，4-linked α-D-galacturonic acid residues. The biosynthesis and degradation of HG are involved in the metabolism of polysaccharides in the wall and have an effect on the structures and functions of cell walls. Meanwhile， the precise regulation of its demethyl esterification plays an important role in the growth and development of plants， so do the signal transduction pathways related to wall-associated kinases (WAKs) and mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) participated by HG. This paper mainly summarizes the recent research on the biosynthesis， degration and cyclic utilization as well as the roles of HG in plant cell walls.
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