A xylogalacturonan epitope is specifically associated with plant cell detachment.

A monoclonal antibody (LM8) was generated with specificity for xyloglacturonan (XGA) isolated from pea (Pisum sativum L.) testae. Characterization of the LM8 epitope indicates that it is a region of XGA that is highly substituted with xylose.

Characterisation of pectin subunits released by an optimised combination of enzymes.

Pectins from sugar beet, lime and apple were degraded by a rhamnogalacturonan hydrolase associated or not with pectin methylesterases and side chain degrading enzymes (galactanase and arabinanase). The composition of the enzymatic mixture was optimised by following the reaction by viscosimetric means. The reaction products were fractionated by ion exchange chromatography.