The Maize Mixed-Linkage (1 → 3),(1 → 4)-β-D-Glucan Polysaccharide Is Synthesized at the Golgi Membrane

With the exception of cellulose and callose, the cell wall polysaccharides are synthesized in Golgi membranes, packaged into vesicles, and exported to the plasma membrane where they are integrated into the microfibrillar structure. Consistent with this paradigm, several published reports have shown that the maize (Zea mays) mixed-linkage (1 -> 3),(1 -> 4)-beta-D-glucan, a polysaccharide that among angiosperms is unique to the grasses and related Poales species, is synthesized in vitro with isolated maize coleoptile Golgi membranes and the nucleotide-sugar substrate, UDP-glucose. However, a recent study reported the inability to detect the beta-glucan immunocytochemically at the Golgi, resulting in a hypothesis that the mixed-linkage beta-glucan oligomers may be initiated at the Golgi but are polymerized at the plasma membrane surface. Here, we demonstrate that (1 -> 3),(1 -> 4)-beta-D-glucans are detected immunocytochemically at the Golgi of the developing maize coleoptiles. Further, when maize seedlings at the third-leaf stage were pulse labeled with [C-14]O-2 and Golgi membranes were isolated from elongating cells at the base of the developing leaves, (1 -> 3),(1 -> 4)-beta-D-glucans of an average molecular mass of 250 kD and higher were detected in isolated Golgi membranes. When the pulse was followed by a chase period, the labeled polysaccharides of the Golgi membrane diminished with subsequent transfer to the cell wall. (1 -> 3),(1 -> 4)-beta-D-Glucans of at least 250 kD were isolated from cell walls, but much larger aggregates were also detected, indicating a potential for intermolecular interactions with glucuronoarabinoxylans or intermolecular grafting in muro.