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Glycobiology Advance Access published online on August 18, 2004
Glycobiology, doi:10.1093/glycob/cwh138
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Received May 21, 2004
Revised July 19, 2004
Accepted August 14, 2004

ORIGINAL ARTICLES

Occurrence of sulfated galactans in marine angiosperms. Evolutionary implications

Rafael S. Aquino 1, Ana M. Landeira-Fernandez 2, Ana Paula Valente 3, Leonardo R. Andrade 4, Paulo A. S. Mourão 5*

1 Laboratório de Tecido Conjuntivo, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68041, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brasil
2 Departamento de Bioquímica Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68041, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brasil
3 Departamento de Bioquímica Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68041, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brasil; Centro de Ressonância Nuclear Magnética de Macromoléculas, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
4 Laboratório de Biomineralização, Departamento de Histologia e Embriologia, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro
5 Laboratório de Tecido Conjuntivo, Hospital Universitário Clementino Fraga Filho, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68041, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brasil; Departamento de Bioquímica Médica, Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 68041, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, 21941-590, Brasil

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: pmourao{at}hucff.ufrj.br.


  Abstract

We report for the first time that marine angiosperms (seagrasses) possess sulfated polysaccharides, which are absent in terrestrial and fresh water plants. The structure of the sulfated polysaccharide from the seagrass Ruppia maritima was determined. It is a sulfated D-galactan composed of the following regular tetrasaccharide repeating unit: [3-{beta}-D-Gal-2(OSO3)-1->4-{alpha}-D-Gal-1->4-{alpha}-D-Gal-1->3-{beta}-D-Gal-4(OSO3)-1->]. Sulfated galactans have been described previously in red algae and in marine invertebrates (ascidians and sea urchins). The sulfated galactan from the marine angiosperm has an intermediate structure when compared with the polysaccharides from these two other groups of organisms. Like marine invertebrate galactan, it expresses a regular repeating unit with a homogenous sulfation pattern. However, seagrass galactan contains the D-enantiomer of galactose instead of the L-isomer found in marine invertebrates. Like red algae, the marine angiosperm polysaccharide contains both {alpha} and {beta} units of D-galactose, however these units are not distributed in an alternating order, as in algal galactan. Sulfated galactan is localized in the plant cell walls, mostly in rhizomes and roots, indicative of a relationship with the absorption of nutrients and of a possible structural function. The occurrence of sulfated galactans in marine organisms may by the result of physiological adaptations, which are not correlated with phylogenetic proximity. We suggest that convergent adaptation, due to environment pressure, may explain the occurrence of sulfated galactans in many marine organisms.

Keywords: evolution of marine organisms; marine angiosperms; seagrass; sulfated galactans; sulfated polysaccharides.
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