Automated Glycan Assembly of Plant Cell Wall Oligosaccharides

Abstract

Synthetic cell wall oligosaccharides are promising molecular tools for investigating the structure and function of plant cell walls. Their well-defined structure and high purity prevents misinterpretations of experimental data, and the possibility to introduce chemical handles provides means for easier localization and detection. Automated glycan assembly as emerged has a powerful new method for the efficient preparation of oligosaccharide libraries. We recently made use of this technology to prepare a collection of plant cell wall glycans for cell wall research. In this chapter, detailed experimental procedures for the automated synthesis of oligosaccharides that are ready for use in biological assays are described.

Keywords: Arabinogalactan; Arabinoxylan; Automated glycan assembly; Plant cell wall oligosaccharides; Solid-phase synthesis; Xyloglucan.