Comparative Analysis of Fine Structures for Phytoglycogen and Fungal Glycogen
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Abstract:
Phytoglycogen and fungal glycogen exist in mutant plants and fungi, respectively, and they are closely related to physiological processes, such as growth and development, metabolic pathways, and the stress response. A comparative analysis was conducted on the fine structures of three types of phytoglycogen and four types of fungal glycogen using size-exclusion chromatography, fluorescence-assisted carbohydrate electrophoresis, and transmission electron microscopy. The results showed that phytoglycogen exhibited a unimodal (10~20 nm) full molecular distribution, while fungal glycogen mainly presented a bimodal (10~20 nm and>40 nm) full molecular distribution. Fungal glycogen had a higher average chain length (8.7~10.4 DP) than phytoglycogen (4.4~6.9 DP), Both phytoglycogen and fungal glycogen exhibited a cauliflower-like morphology. Phytoglycogen was mainly composed of β particles (10~20 nm), whereas fungal glycogen contained both α particles (50~180 nm) and β particles. These results showed that fungi not only have large glycogen molecules that act as storage materials, but also small glycogen molecules that can quickly release energy; however, plant mutants only have small, unstable phytoglycogen molecules. The findings of this study will help our understanding of the differences in biological functions and evolutionary relationships between phytoglycogen and fungal glycogen.
