Differentiation of the Arabidopsis thaliana seed coat cells includes a secretory phase where large amounts of pectinaceous mucilage are deposited to a specific domain of the cell wall. During this phase, Golgi stacks had cisternae with swollen margins and trans-Golgi networks consisting of interconnected vesicular clusters. The proportion of Golgi stacks producing mucilage was determined by imm...

For more than a decade, the Arabidopsis seed coat epidermis (SCE) has been used as a model system to study the synthesis, secretion and modification of cell wall polysaccharides, particularly pectin. Our detailed re-evaluation of available biochemical data highlights that Arabidopsis seed mucilage is more than just pectin. Typical secondary wall polymers such as xylans and heteromannans are als...

Mucilage isolated from seeds of Manilkara zapota (Linn.) P. Royen syn. is a plant growing naturally in the forests of India. This mucilage is yet to be commercially exploited, and characterized as polymer. Various physicochemical methods like particle size analysis, scanning electron microscopy, thermal analysis, gel permeation chromatography, X-ray diffraction spectrometry, zeta potential, Fou...

Arabidopsis seeds rapidly release hydrophilic polysaccharides from the seed coat on imbibition. These form a heavy mucilage layer around the seed that makes it sink in water. Fourteen natural Arabidopsis variants from central Asia and Scandinavia were identified with seeds that have modified mucilage release and float. Four of these have a novel mucilage phenotype with almost none of the releas...

In Arabidopsis, fertilization induces the epidermal cells of the outer ovule integument to differentiate into a specialized seed coat cell type producing extracellular pectinaceous mucilage and a volcano-shaped secondary cell wall. Differentiation involves a regulated series of cytological events including growth, cytoplasmic rearrangement, mucilage synthesis, and secondary cell wall production...

Mucilage of Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI) was extracted and characterized by its composition and molecular weight distribution. Mucilage film-forming dispersions were prepared under different pHs (3, 4, 5.6, 7, and 8) and calcium concentration (0% and 30% of CaCl(2), with respect to mucilage's weight), and their particle size determined. Mucilage films with and without calcium (MFCa and MF, respec...

Polysaccharide mucilage derived from the seeds of Ocimum basilicum L. (family Lamiaceae) was investigated for use in matrix formulations containing propranolol hydrochloride. Basil mucilage was extracted and several tablets were formulated. The effect of mucilage on drug release rate was evaluated in comparison with tablets containing two kinds of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC K4M and HPM...

Interactions between cell wall polymers are critical for establishing cell wall integrity and cell-cell adhesion. Here, we exploit the Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) seed coat mucilage system to examine cell wall polymer interactions. On hydration, seeds release an adherent mucilage layer strongly attached to the seed in addition to a nonadherent layer that can be removed by gentle agitatio...

Many sandy beach surf-zones support characteristic accumulations of diatom cells appearing as dark brown patches at the water surface. These diatoms become buoyant during the day, adhering to air bubbles generated by wave action. This, together with water circulation patterns generated by rip currents results in the accumulation of diatoms. By late afternoon the cells lose buoyancy and the accu...

Imbibed seeds of the Arabidopsis thaliana accession Djarly are affected in mucilage release from seed coat epidermal cells. The impaired locus was identified as a pectin methylesterase inhibitor gene, PECTIN METHYLESTERASE INHIBITOR6 (PMEI6), specifically expressed in seed coat epidermal cells at the time when mucilage polysaccharides are accumulated. This spatio-temporal regulation appears to ...