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1: FEBS Lett. 2004 Jul 2;569(1-3):327-31.Click here to read Links

Identification and characterization of a UDP-D-glucuronate 4-epimerase in Arabidopsis.

Usadel B, Schlüter U, Mølhøj M, Gipmans M, Verma R, Kossmann J, Reiter WD, Pauly M.

Max Planck Institute of Molecular Plant Physiology, Am Mühlenberg 1, 14476 Golm, Germany.

One of the major sugars present in the plant cell wall is d-galacturonate, the dominant monosaccharide in pectic polysaccharides. Previous work indicated that one of the activated precursors necessary for the synthesis of pectins is UDP-d-galacturonate, which is synthesized from UDP-d-glucuronate by a UDP-d-glucuronate 4-epimerase (GAE). Here, we report the identification, cloning and characterization of a GAE6 from Arabidopsis thaliana. Functional analysis revealed that this enzyme converts UDP-d-glucuronate to UDP-d-galacturonate in vitro. An expression analysis of this epimerase and its five homologs in the Arabidopsis genome by quantitative RT-PCR and promoter::GUS fusions indicated differential expression of the family members in plant tissues and expression of all isoforms in the developing pollen of A. thaliana.

PMID: 15225656 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]