Cyclohexane Diamine Tetraacetic Acid (CDTA) Extraction of Plant Cell Wall Pectin

Abstract

The goal of this procedure is to extract pectin from plant cell walls. Pectins are galacturonic acid containing polymeric sugars that are important components of plant cell walls. Various procedures aimed at studying plant cell wall components require the extraction of pectin. Pectin is synthesized in the Golgi apparatus in a highly esterified fashion and is de-esterified in the cell wall (Mohnen, 2008). Pectin is generally water soluble. De-esterified pectin can form so-called “egg-box structures” in the presence of Ca2+ ions (Mohnen, 2008; Harholt et al., 2010). Pectin in these “egg-box structures” is cross-linked and less soluble. Cyclohexane diamine tetraacetic acid (CDTA) chelates Ca2+ ions and hence allows extraction of Ca2+ cross-linked pectin from cell walls.