Changes in the C-Labeled Cell Wall Components with Chase Time After Incorporation of UDP[C]Glucose by Intact Cotton Fibers

Intact, in vitro-grown cotton fibers will incorporate [(14)C]glucose from externally supplied UDP[(14)C]glucose into a variety of cell wall components including cellulose; this labeled fraction will continue to increase up to 4 hours chase time. In the fraction soluble in hot water there was no significant change in total label; however, the largest fraction after the 30 minute pulse with UDP[(14)C]glucose was chloroform-methanol soluble (70%) and showed a significant decrease with chase. The lipids that make up about 85% of this fraction were identified by TLC as steryl glucosides, acylated steryl glucosides, and glucosyl-phosphoryl-polyprenol. Following the pulse, the loss of label from acylated steryl glucosides and glucosylphophoryl-polyprenol was almost complete within 2 hours of chase; steryl glucosides made up about 85% of the fraction at that chase time. The total loss in the lipid fraction (about 100 picomoles per milligram dry weight of fiber) with chase times of 4 hours approximates the total gain in the total glucans.