Structural analysis and enzymic solubilization of barley endosperm cell-walls

Barley endosperm cell-walls were prepared and analysed. The carbohydrate portion, which constituted most of the wall material, consisted of 10% of L-arabinose, 13% of D-xylose, 74% of D-glucose and 2.5% of D-mannose. Mixed-linkage a-D-glucan represented 70-72% of this material; the remaining 2-4% of D-glucose may be present as cellulose and glucomannan. Water and alkali-extracted a-D-glucans contained similar ratios of (1 ? 3)- to (1 ? 4)-linkages, namely 3 to 7. The walls, which had a protein content of approximately 5%, contained unidentified, alkalilabile linkages. An endo-(1 ? 3)-a-D-glucanase from malted barley, and a fungal endo-(1 ? 4)-a-D-glucanase, caused extensive solubilization of the wall polysaccharides. © 1978.