Cyclitol glucosides and their role in the synthesis of a glucan from uridine diphosphate glucose in Phaseolus aureus. Characterization of some cyclitol glucosides and their synthesis.

Short-chained sugar compounds, thought to be involved in the synthesis of callose, were formed in small amounts from UDP-glucose by soluble extracts from hypocotyls of seedlings of Phaseolus aureus. The properties of the glycosides were investigated by treatment with various chemicals and analysis by paper chromatography, g.l.c. and mass spectrometry. The data obtained support the characterization of these compounds as myoinositol-beta-glucoside and diglucosylmyoinositol. The cyclitol moiety was provided by the enzyme extract. Free myoinositol was not the immediate substrate but a compound containing myoinositol, isolated from the enzyme extract, may be involved. The method of synthesis of these glucosides is compared with that of other cyclitol glycosides.