Skip Navigation



Glycobiology Advance Access published online on August 18, 2004
Glycobiology, doi:10.1093/glycob/cwh138
This Article
Right arrow Advance Access manuscript (PDF) Freely available
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
15/1/11    most recent
cwh138v1
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Add to My Personal Archive
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrowRequest Permissions
Right arrow Disclaimer
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Aquino, R. S.
Right arrow Articles by Mourão, P. A. S.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Aquino, R. S.
Right arrow Articles by Mourão, P. A. S.
Social Bookmarking
Add to CiteULike   Add to Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us  
What's this?

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.
Add to CiteULike CiteULike   Add to Connotea Connotea   Add to Del.icio.us Del.icio.us    What's this?


This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 GlycobiologyHome page
J. M. Estevez, P. V. Fernandez, L. Kasulin, P. Dupree, and M. Ciancia
Chemical and in situ characterization of macromolecular components of the cell walls from the green seaweed Codium fragile
Glycobiology, March 1, 2009; 19(3): 212 - 228.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GlycobiologyHome page
V. H Pomin and P. A S Mourao
Structure, biology, evolution, and medical importance of sulfated fucans and galactans
Glycobiology, December 1, 2008; 18(12): 1016 - 1027.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GlycobiologyHome page
E. H C Farias, V. H Pomin, A.-P. Valente, H. B Nader, H. A O Rocha, and P. A S Mourao
A preponderantly 4-sulfated, 3-linked galactan from the green alga Codium isthmocladum
Glycobiology, March 1, 2008; 18(3): 250 - 259.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Bacteriol.Home page
C. Geslin, M. Gaillard, D. Flament, K. Rouault, M. Le Romancer, D. Prieur, and G. Erauso
Analysis of the First Genome of a Hyperthermophilic Marine Virus-Like Particle, PAV1, Isolated from Pyrococcus abyssi
J. Bacteriol., June 15, 2007; 189(12): 4510 - 4519.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GlycobiologyHome page
V. H. Pomin, A. P. Valente, M. S. Pereira, and P. A.S. Mourao
Mild acid hydrolysis of sulfated fucans: a selective 2-desulfation reaction and an alternative approach for preparing tailored sulfated oligosaccharides
Glycobiology, December 1, 2005; 15(12): 1376 - 1385.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


Disclaimer: Please note that abstracts for content published before 1996 were created through digital scanning and may therefore not exactly replicate the text of the original print issues. All efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, but the Publisher will not be held responsible for any remaining inaccuracies. If you require any further clarification, please contact our Customer Services Department.