A small-scale fractionation pipeline for rapid analysis of seed mucilage characteristics.

Background: Myxospermy is a process by which the external surfaces of seeds of many plant species produce mucilage-a polysaccharide-rich gel with numerous fundamental research and industrial applications. Due to its functional properties the mucilage can be difficult to remove from the seed and established methods for mucilage extraction are often incomplete, time-consuming and unnecessarily wasteful of precious seed stocks.

Results: Here we tested the efficacy of several established protocols for seed mucilage extraction and then downsized and adapted the most effective elements into a rapid, small-scale extraction and analysis pipeline.

The effect of zinc fertilisation and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi on grain quality and yield of contrasting barley cultivars.

Zinc is essential for the functioning of many enzymes and plant processes and the malting process. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) can improve zinc (Zn) uptake in the important cereal crop barley (Hordeum vulgare) on Zn-deficient soils. Here we investigated the impacts of Zn fertilisation and AMF on the yield and grain quality of malting barley cultivars.

Revised Phylogeny of the Gene Superfamily: Insights into Cell Wall Evolution.

Cell walls are crucial for the integrity and function of all land plants and are of central importance in human health, livestock production, and as a source of renewable bioenergy. Many enzymes that mediate the biosynthesis of cell wall polysaccharides are encoded by members of the large () gene superfamily. Here, we analyzed 29 sequenced genomes and 17 transcriptomes to revise the phylogeny of the gene superfamily in angiosperms.

Dissecting the Genetic Basis for Seed Coat Mucilage Heteroxylan Biosynthesis in Using Gamma Irradiation and Infrared Spectroscopy.

Seeds from the myxospermous species release a polysaccharide-rich mucilage upon contact with water. This seed coat derived mucilage is composed predominantly of heteroxylan (HX) and is utilized as a gluten-free dietary fiber supplement to promote human colorectal health. In this study, a gamma-irradiated population was generated and screened using histological stains and Fourier Transform Mid Infrared (FTMIR) spectroscopy to identify putative mutants showing defects in seed coat mucilage HX composition and/or structure.