Formation of Raffinose and Stachyose in Lima Beans (Phaseolus lunatus) (original) (raw)

Nature volume 195, pages 616–617 (1962) Cite this article

Abstract

SUCROSE, raffinose and stachyose have often been found together in Leguminosae1. Recently these sugars have been identified in dry Lima beans (Phaseolus lunatus)2. Raffinose and stachyose can be derived from sucrose by successive condensations of α-D-galactopyranose units. For these reasons, it has been suggested that the co-occurrence of these sugars in plants is due to the existence of an enzyme mechanism capable of conducting transgalactosylation reactions with the primary alcoholic groups of the terminal D-glucose and D-galactose of sucrose and raffinose, respectively, as acceptors1,3. In analogy with the formation of sucrose in plants, D-galactose-1-phos-phate or D-galactose nucleotides have been suggested as intermediates in the formation of raffinose and stachyose from sucrose1,4. No proof for this hypothesis has been forthcoming, and it was of interest to test it by following the changes in free carbohydrates during the development of Lima beans.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Subscribe to this journal

Receive 51 print issues and online access

$199.00 per year

only $3.90 per issue

Buy this article

USD 39.95

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Additional access options:

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. French, D., Adv. in Carbohydrate Chem., 9, 149 (1954).
    CAS Google Scholar
  2. Williams, K. T., and Bevenue, A., J. Assoc. Offic. Agric. Chemists, 41, 822 (1958).
    Google Scholar
  3. French, D., Wild, G. M., Young, B., and James, W. J., J. Amer. Chem. Soc., 75, 709 (1953).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  4. Bean, R. C., and Hassid, W. Z., J. Biol. Chem., 212, 411 (1955).
    CAS PubMed Google Scholar
  5. a, Underwood, J. C., and Rockland, L. B., Anal. Chem., 26, 1553 (1954). b, Rockland, L. B., and Underwood, J. C., ibid., 26, 1557 (1954).
    Article CAS Google Scholar
  6. Harris, G., and MacWilliam, I. C., Chem. and Indust., 249 (1954).
  7. Trevelyan, W. E., Procter, D. P., and Harrison, J. S., Nature, 166, 444 (1950).
    Article ADS CAS Google Scholar
  8. Cardini, C. E., Leloir, L. F., and Chiriboga, J., J. Biol. Chem., 214, 149 (1955).
    CAS PubMed Google Scholar
  9. Dupéron, R., Rev. Gen. Bot., 61, 261 (1954), cited by Wanner, H., in Encyclopedia of Plant Physiology, 6, 939 (Springer, Berlin, 1958).
    Google Scholar

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, 3, New York
    W. KORYTNYK & E. METZLER
  2. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Fruit and Vegetable Chemistry Laboratory, Pasadena, California
    W. KORYTNYK & E. METZLER

Authors

  1. W. KORYTNYK
  2. E. METZLER

Rights and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

KORYTNYK, W., METZLER, E. Formation of Raffinose and Stachyose in Lima Beans (Phaseolus lunatus).Nature 195, 616–617 (1962). https://doi.org/10.1038/195616a0

Download citation