Pectin Depolymerase Activities Associated with Cell Walls from Cicer arietinum L. Epicotyl

The hydrolytic activity of the proteins extracted with 3 M LiCl from chick-pea (Cicer arietinum) cell walls to pec-tic fractions extracted with 50 mM trans-l,2-diaminocy-clohexane-N,N,N,N,-tetraacetic acid (CDTA) and 50 mM sodium carbonate was studied. The pectic fractions contained acidic polysaccharides with high molecular mass (higher than 5 × 103 kDa), mainly composed of uronic acids, galac-tose, arabinose and rhamnose. The extracted proteins depo-lymerized the pectic polysaccharides and also a commercial preparation of polygalacturonic acid from citrus, detected by a decrease in their viscosity and a shift of their molecular mass distribution. The extract was able to depolymerize a uronic acid-rich component in all the cases, although in different extent. Also, with regard to the CDTA-soluble pectins, a degradation of polyuronide and a shift of the molecular mass distribution of arabinogalactan was observed.