Branching of the Galacturonan Backbone of Comaruman, a Pectin from the Marsh Cinquefoil Comarum palustre L.

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R. G. Ovodova¹, S. V. Popov¹, O. A. Bushneva¹, V. V. Golovchenko¹, A. O. Chizhov², D. V. Klinov³, and Yu. S. Ovodov^1*

¹Institute of Physiology, Komi Science Center, The Urals Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Pervomaiskaya 50, 167982 Syktyvkar, Russia; fax: (7-8212) 241-001; E-mail: ovoys@physiol.komisc.ru

²Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Leninsky pr. 47, 119991 Moscow, Russia; fax: (7-495) 135-5328; E-mail: chizhov@ioc.ac.ru

³Shemyakin and Ovchinnikov Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, ul. Miklukho-Maklaya 16/10, 117871 Moscow, Russia; fax: (7-495) 338-1988; E-mail: klinov@ibch.ru

^* To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Received August 11, 2005; Revision received November 9, 2005

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Galacturonan, the main constituent of the backbone (core) of the comaruman macromolecule, a pectin from the marsh cinquefoil Comarum palustre L., was obtained on partial acid hydrolysis of the pectin. Using atomic force microscopy and methylation analysis of the galacturonan, the backbone of the comaruman macromolecule was shown to contain branches as side chains consisting of alpha-1,4-linked residues of D-galactopyranosyl uronic acid attached to the 2- and 3-positions of the galacturonic acid residues of the core, in addition to linear regions of alpha-1,4-D-galacturonan. A few side chains appear to attach to 2,3-positions of the D-galacturonic acid residues.

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KEY WORDS: plant polysaccharides, pectin, galacturonans, comaruman, marsh cinquefoil, Comarum palustre L., atomic force microscopy, methylation analysis, GLC-MS of methylated sugars

DOI: 10.1134/S0006297906050117

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