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Science 16 January 2004:
Vol. 303. no. 5656, p. 281
DOI: 10.1126/science.303.5656.281p
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This Week in Science

Galactomannans are plant-derived carbohydrate gums useful in diverse processes such as ice cream manufacture and concrete flow. Dhugga et al. (p. 363) have isolated the gene responsible for mannan synthesis from the guar plant. The mannan synthase gene is a member of the cellulose synthase supergene family. As well as paving the way toward a more convenient source of this useful gum, this story yields fresh insight into the complex biosynthetic processes that produce the cell wall and highlights how a family of enzymes can evolve to process different substrates, to acquire different subcellular localizations, and to respond to different regulatory controls.




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Science. ISSN 0036-8075 (print), 1095-9203 (online)