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Factors affecting fructosyltransferases and fructan exohydrolase activities in Agave tequilana Weber var. azul

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Abstract

There is great interest in the fructosyltransferases (FTFs) involved in fructan metabolism and agents affecting their activity. Agaves accumulate fructans, fructose polymers linked by glycosidic β(2–1) and β(2–6) bonds in linear or branched configurations. In plants, fructans provide protection under stress conditions. The sucrose:sucrose 1-fructosyltransferase (1-SST), fructan:fructan 1-fructosyltransferase (1-FFT), fructan:fructan 6G-fructosyltransferase (6G-FFT), and fructan exohydrolase (FEH) activities were analyzed in micropropagated Agave tequilana plants in the absence and presence of HgCl2, AgNO3, MgCl2, sodium deoxycholate (DNa), and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). Kestose, nystose and neokestose were synthesized by the respective FTFs. HgCl2 and AgNO3 inhibited all FTFs, mainly up to 90 % in 1-SST and 1-FFT. DNa increased 1-SST (32 %) and 1-FFT (45 %) activities, and SDS increased 6G-FFT activity by 96 %. Finally, AgNO3 inhibited FEH activity by 78 %. Our results might be relevant on the regulation of FTFs in agave and other crops, for instance by the increment the fructans synthesis in stressed plants.

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Abbreviations

DNa:

Sodium deoxycholate

FTFs:

Fructosyltransferases

HPAEC-PAD:

High performance anionic exchange chromatography coupled to pulse amperometric detection

RN:

Raftiline

RS:

Raftilose

TLC:

Thin layer chromatography

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Acknowledgments

García-Pérez expresses her sincere thanks to national council of science and technology (CONACYT) and research center and advanced studies of the national polytechnic institute (CINVESTAV) for the scholarship (203262) that led to the realization of this work and to BROWN-FORMAN CASA HERRADURA for the A. tequilana plants.

Conflict of interest

Both authors agreed on the content of the paper and post no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Biotecnología y Bioquímica, Centro de Investigación y de Estudios Avanzados del IPN, CINVESTAV-Irapuato, Km 9.6 Libramiento Norte, Carretera León-Irapuato, 36821, Irapuato, Guanajuato, México

    María Concepción García-Pérez & Mercedes G. López

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  1. María Concepción García-Pérez
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  2. Mercedes G. López
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Correspondence to Mercedes G. López.

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García-Pérez, M.C., López, M.G. Factors affecting fructosyltransferases and fructan exohydrolase activities in Agave tequilana Weber var. azul. J. Plant Biochem. Biotechnol. 25, 147–154 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s13562-015-0320-z

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