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Cell adhesion

A pair of ripe tomatoesUsing the tomato fruit pericarp parenchyma system we have studied the occurrence of polysaccharides at cell surfaces in relation to cell adhesion phenomena. Right: Red ripe tomato fruits.

For details see Ordaz-Ortiz et al. 2009

The LM7 homogalacturonan epitope is detected abundantly and evenly at the edge of former adhesion planes at the surface of cells isolated from 40 dpa green mature fruit parenchyma

At the surface of cells isolated from 60 dpa fruit from tomato plants carrying the Cnr mutation that leads to reduced cell adhesion the LM7 homogalacturonan epitope is still present in a similar pattern to that observed at 40 dpa.

The LM15 xyloglucan epitope has a similar pattern of occurrence at the surface of isolated 40 dpa parenchyma cell. In this case there are gaps and breaks in the detection of the epitope at the edge of former adhesion planes.

This pattern of epitope occurrence is largely lost in 60 dpa ripe fruit and also as a consequence of the Cnr mutation.

A similar pattern of occurrence of the LM15 xyloglucan epitope is oberved at the surface of cells released from 40 dpa parenchyma by the action of homogalacturonan-degrading enzymes such as pectate lyase.