Methods for providing transgenic plants and parts hereof that, relative to the
wild type state, is modified in a
complex cell wall
polysaccharide structure including pectins and hemicelluloses, the modification being in the overall glycosidic linkage pattern or the
monosaccharide profile, comprising transforming a
plant cell with a
nucleotide sequence that causes an altered production of a
complex cell wall
polysaccharide-modifying
enzyme such as endo-rhamnogalacturonan
hydrolase, an endo-rhamnogalacturonan
lyase, an endo-galactanase, an endo-arabinanase, an arabinofuranosidase, a galactosidase such as a beta-galactosidase, a xylosidase and an exo-galacturosidase. The modification can occur
in vivo or post harvest, in which latter case the modifying
enzyme is separated in the growing
plant from its substrate, e.g. by targeting the
enzyme to the Golgi, the
endoplasmic reticulum or a
vacuole, or is in a form that is inactive in the
plant. After harvest the enzyme is brought into contact with its substrate or it is activated to provide the desired post harvest modification of the
cell wall
polysaccharide. The transgenic plant materials have improved functionalities and are useful in food and feed manufacturing and as pharmaceutically or medically active substances.