Plant Physiology 86:754-758 (1988)
© 1988 American Society of Plant Biologists
Environmental and Stress Physiology
Lipid-Sugar Interactions 1
Relevance to Anhydrous Biology
Martin Caffrey2,
Victoria Fonseca and
A. Carl Leopold
Section of Biochemistry, Molecular, and Cell Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853,
Catedra Fisica Atomica, University of Madrid, Madrid, SPAIN,
Boyce Thompson Institute, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853
The ability of seeds and other anhydrous plant forms to survive the withdrawal of water must involve a mechanism for protecting the integrity of cellular membranes. Evidence from animal systems implicates sugars as protective components, and we have tested the changes in mesomorphic phase state of phospholipid model membranes upon hydration and dehydration in the presence of sucrose and/or sucrose plus raffinose. X-ray diffraction studies of dry dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) indicate that the presence of sucrose lowers the chain order/disorder transition temperature to that of hydrated lipid; likewise, the lamellar repeat spacings showed the dry DMPC/sucrose mixture to be similar to that of the hydrated lipid. These results support the proposed potential of sugars to substitute for water in biomembranes. If sucrose is to serve as a protectant during desiccation of seeds, its tendency to crystallize would lessen its effectiveness. Raffinose is known to serve as an inhibitor of sucrose crystallization, and is abundant in seeds. The addition of raffinose to make DMPC/sucrose/raffinose mixtures (1/1/0.3 mass ratio) prevented sucrose crystallization, suggesting this as a possible in vivo role for raffinose.
2 Present address: Department of Chemistry, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210.
1 CHESS (National Science Foundation grant No. DMR81-12822) and MacCHESS (National Institutes of Health grant No. RR-01646) for x-ray facilities; National Science Foundation grant No. DMB 8505491 to A. C. L.; and National Institutes of Health grant No. DK36849 and Sigma Xi, The Scientific Society to M. C.
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
|
|
 
A. J. Patton, S. M. Cunningham, J. J. Volenec, and Z. J. Reicher
Differences in Freeze Tolerance of Zoysiagrasses: II. Carbohydrate and Proline Accumulation
Crop Sci.,
September 1, 2007;
47(5):
2170 - 2181.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
S. Peters, S. G. Mundree, J. A. Thomson, J. M. Farrant, and F. Keller
Protection mechanisms in the resurrection plant Xerophyta viscosa (Baker): both sucrose and raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFOs) accumulate in leaves in response to water deficit
J. Exp. Bot.,
June 1, 2007;
58(8):
1947 - 1956.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. A. Shahba, Y. L. Qian, H. G. Hughes, A. J. Koski, and D. Christensen
Relationships of Soluble Carbohydrates and Freeze Tolerance in Saltgrass
Crop Sci.,
November 1, 2003;
43(6):
2148 - 2153.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Xiao and K. L. Koster
Desiccation tolerance of protoplasts isolated from pea embryos
J. Exp. Bot.,
November 1, 2001;
52(364):
2105 - 2114.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
[PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Buitink, M. A. Hemminga, and F. A. Hoekstra
Is There a Role for Oligosaccharides in Seed Longevity? An Assessment of Intracellular Glass Stability
Plant Physiology,
April 1, 2000;
122(4):
1217 - 1224.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
W. F. Wolkers, F. A.A. Tetteroo, M. Alberda, and F. A. Hoekstra
Changed Properties of the Cytoplasmic Matrix Associated with Desiccation Tolerance of Dried Carrot Somatic Embryos. An in Situ Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopic Study
Plant Physiology,
May 1, 1999;
120(1):
153 - 164.
[Abstract]
[Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
