Arabinan polysaccharide side-chains are present in both Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Corynebacterium glutamicum in the heteropolysaccharide arabinogalactan (AG), and in M. tuberculosis in the lipoglycan lipoarabinomannan (LAM). This study shows by quantitative sugar and glycosyl linkage analysis that C. glutamicum possesses a much smaller LAM version, Cg-LAM, characterized by single t-Araf re...

Smad2/3-mediated transforming growth factor β signalling and the Ras-Raf-Mek-Erk cascade have important roles in stem cell and development and tissue homeostasis. However, it remains unknown whether Raf kinases directly crosstalk with Smad2/3 signalling and how this would regulate embryonic development. Here we show that Araf antagonizes mesendoderm induction and patterning activity of Nodal/Sm...

l-Arabinose is one of the main constituents of cell wall polysaccharides such as pectic rhamnogalacturonan I (RG-I), glucuronoarabinoxylans and other glycoproteins. It is found predominantly in the furanose form rather than in the thermodynamically more stable pyranose form. UDP-L-arabinofuranose (UDP-Araf), rather than UDP-L-arabinopyranose (UDP-Arap), is a sugar donor for the biosynthesis of ...

Information on the biosynthesis of the D-arabinans of the cell wall of Mycobacterium tuberculosis is rapidly emerging, with the promise of new targets for drug development against tuberculosis. Accordingly, arabinosyl transferase assays were developed utilizing synthesized [1-14C]-beta-D-arabinofuranosyl-1-monophosphoryldecaprenol as donor and a variety of O- and S-alkyl arabinosides as accepto...

The unique hydroxylproline (Hyp)-linked O-glycan modification is a common process in hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs). The modification occurs through post-translational hydroxylation at 4-position of proline residues some of which are followed by O-glycosylation at the resulting Hyp which is also found in some secreted peptide hormones such as CLAVATA3 (CLV3) of Arabidopsis thaliana p...

Four members of the UDP-Ara mutase (UAM) gene family from barley have been isolated and characterized, and their map positions on chromosomes 2H, 3H, and 4H have been defined. When the genes are expressed in Escherichia coli, the corresponding HvUAM1, HvUAM2, and HvUAM3 proteins exhibit UAM activity, and the kinetic properties of the enzymes have been determined, including Km, Kcat, and catalyt...

one of the quranic concepts concerning the hereafter is the lofty barrier (araf) and their men regarding which the words of revelation of 46-49 in araf surah in the holy quran have pointed this concept. there are different viewpoints among commentators concerning what and where the lofty barrier is, and also who the men of the lofty barrier are. regarding this, different viewpoints have been ta...

The physiologically active, gel-forming fraction of the alkali-extractable polysaccharides of Plantago ovata Forsk seed husk (psyllium seed) and some derived partial hydrolysis products were studied by compositional and methylation analysis and NMR spectroscopy. Resolving the conflicting claims of previous investigators, the material was found to be a neutral arabinoxylan (arabinose 22.6%, xylo...

Terminalia chebula, a medicinal plant, is widely used in the management of various diseases. As the water extract of its dried ripe fruit is a frequently used preparation, we decided to look for bioactive polysaccharide in this extract. We demonstrate that the obtained polysaccharide fraction, CP, contained a highly branched arabinogalactan protein having a (1 → 3)-, (1 → 6)- and (1 → 3, 6)-lin...