Recent Developments in the Field of In Vitro Biosynthesis of Plant β-Glucans

摘要

This chapter reports the use of various detergents for the preparation of vesicles and micelles from plant plasma membranes bearing β-glucan synthases. The effects of these detergents and other parameters on the in vitro activity of cellulose and (1→3β-glucan synthases are described. Morphological and structural aspects of the vesicles and micelles are presented together with the characterization of the products synthesized in vitro by the detergent-extracted β-glucan synthases. The possible involvement of porins for extrusion of cell wall glucans through plasma membranes as well as future developments for the study of in vitro biosynthesis of these polysaccharides are discussed in relation to these results.