Fucosylated high molecular mass but not non-fucosylated low molecular mass xyloglucans undergo an extensive depolymerization in cell walls of azuki bean epicotyls.

Epicotyl cuttings of azuki bean were incubated with [14C]-glucose (Glc) or [3H]-fucose (Fuc), and the metabolism of radiolabeled polymers in the 24% KOH-extractable cell wall fraction was investigated. Applied 14C-Glc and (3)H-Fuc were predominantly incorporated into the glucan backbone and Fuc residue of xyloglucan molecules, respectively. On gel permeation chromatography, 14C-polymers consisted of a main peak (0.7-1.0 MDa) and shoulder peak (30 kDa). The pattern was similar to that of iodine-reactive xyloglucans in the fraction. On the other hand, 3H-polymers consisted of a single peak eluted around 0.7-1.0 MDa. The elution patterns of 14C- and 3H-polymers were constant during the incubation period, although incorporated radioactivity increased with time. In the pulse-chase experiment, the high molecular mass peaks (0.7-1.0 MDa) of both 14C- and 3H-polymers showed an extensive molecular mass downshift, but not the shoulder peak of 14C-polymers. These results indicate that xyloglucans in the fraction consist of two types of molecules; fucosylated high molecular mass polymers and non-fucosylated low molecular mass polymers. Azuki bean epicotyls may synthesize both types of xyloglucans independently, but only fucosylated xyloglucans undergo an active depolymerization in the cell wall.