Purification and Characterisation of Ascorbate Oxidase from Flour and Immature Wheat Kernels

White flour from wheat was shown to contain basic-ascorbate oxidase (AOX) enzymes (pI 7·6–9·6) and acidic-AOX enzymes (pI 5·1–6·6) in a ratio of 0·4:1, based on chromatography data. Immature wheat kernels (two weeks post-anthesis) contained about 12 times more AOX activity (units/g dry weight) than flour from mature grain, and the ratio of basic- to acidic-AOX was 5:1. Acidic-AOX was purified 90-fold from flour by hydrophobic interaction, gel filtration and anion exchange chromatography. Basic-AOX was purified 20 000-fold from immature wheat by hydrophobic interaction, anion exchange, cation exchange and gel filtration chromatography in a yield of 5%. The acid-AOX had a M of 140 k, was optimally active at pH 6·3 and 40 °C, and was stable in the pH range 5–9 and at 30 °C for 0·5 h at pH 6·2. The Km values were 0·26 m for L-ascorbic acid and 0·93 m for D-iso ascorbic acid. The basic-AOX had a M of 139 k and subunit M of 72 k. The enzyme was optimally active at pH 6·2 and 50 °C, and was stable in the pH range 5–9 and at 40 °C for 0·5 h at pH 6·2. The Km values were 0·30 m for L-ascorbic acid and 0·53 m for D-iso ascorbic acid. The absorption spectrum of basic-AOX had absorption maxima at 280 nm and 607 nm of similar magnitude to those measured in AOX fromCucurbita species (squash). This indicates that wheat AOX contains protein-bound copper similar to other plant AOX.     

Affinity Chromatography with Immobilised Endoxylanases Separates TAXI- and XIP-type Endoxylanase Inhibitors from Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

An affinity-based purification procedure allowed the resolution of two distinct groups of endoxylanase inhibitors with different molecular structures and endoxylanase specificities from wheat wholemeal. The first group comprises the so-called Triticum aestivum L. Endoxylanase inhibitor (TAXI)-type proteins which are of approx. M_r 40 000 and occur in two different molecular forms. These inhibitors were removed from a concentrated cation exchange chromatography fraction from wheat wholemeal on a Bacillus subtilis endoxylanase affinity column. The second group of structurally different endoxylanase inhibitors, the so-called xylanase inhibiting protein (XIP)-type, of approx.M_r 29 000–32 000, with pI values varying between 8·8 and 9·2, was purified from the unbound fraction from the B. subtilis endoxylanase affinity column by chromatography on an Aspergillus niger endoxylanase affinity column followed by gel permeation chromatography. The XIP-type inhibitors are not active against the B. subtilis endoxylanase and were consequently not retained on the B. subtilis endoxylanase column. Further analysis of the XIP-type proteins by high-resolution cation exchange chromatography, SDS-PAGE and iso-electrofocusing, revealed several forms. They had similar endoxylanase specificities and N-terminal amino acid sequences.     

Functional Properties of Low Mr Wheat Proteins. I. Isolation, Characterization and Comparison with Other Reported Low Mr wheat Proteins

A group of low M_r wheat proteins with characteristic extractability behavior was isolated using two different isolation procedures. The proteins were extractable with water, salt solution and 70% (v/v) ethanol. After water extraction of flour and separation of gluten, a substantial proportion of these proteins was still extractable from gluten using 70% (v/v) ethanol. Based in their amino acid compositions, M_rs and IEF patterns, the isolated proteins resemble closely most of the alpha -amylase/protease inhibitors described in the literature. This was confirmed by enzyme inhibition studies in which it was shown that they inhibited mammalian, but not wheat, bacterial and fungal alpha-amylases. All proteases tested were inhibited by the low M_r proteins. Their M_rs and their high cysteine contents (6·5-8·1 mol%) indicated that the proteins contain four to five disulphide bonds. Free thiol groups were not detected in the proteins. Upon reduction, the M_r increased from 7-8000 to 14-19000. Furthermore, the disulphide bonds were highly reactive as determined by their reaction with the thiol-specific label monobromobimane. This suggests that the low M_r wheat proteins may play a role in thiol group/disulphide bond exchange in wheat proteins.     

Wheat Superoxide Dismutase Isoenzymes

Evidence was obtained indicating that the superoxide dismutase (SOD) A and B isoenzymes of the wheat cultivar Tonic are of the Cu/Zn type, whereas the SOD–C group are similar to manganese containing dismutases. Heat inactivation plots showed that the enzymic activity in crude extracts was relatively stable up to 50°C. The thermodynamic parameters enthalpy, ΔH#, free energy, ΔG#, and entropy, ΔS#, were estimated for the thermal inactivation of extracted SOD activity and a purified SOD–C isoenzyme. The SOD-C isoenzyme was purified extensively and shown to contain two closely related tetrametic isozymes (pI6·0 and 6·1) ofM_r80 000. AM_rof 20 000 has been calculated for the subunits. TheN-terminal amino acid sequence of the purified SOD–C could be aligned with that of the Mn–SOD enzyme of maize and showed 57% homology.     

Relationships Between Chromosome 1B-encoded Glutenin Subunit Compositions and Bread-making Quality Characteristics of Some Durum Wheat (Triticum turgidum) Cultivars

The high and low M_r glutenin subunit compositions (controlled by the Glu-1 loci and the Glu-B3 locus, respectively) and the bread-making quality characteristics of 26 durum wheat (Triticum turgidum) genotypes were determined. The relationships between quality parameters and Glu-B1 and Glu-B3 controlled glutenin subunit composition were also investigated. The Glu-A1-controlled null allele was present in all the genotypes. High M_r subunits 20, 6 + 8 and 7 + 8 occurred in similar proportions in the cultivars analysed. The Glu-B3 low M_r allelic variants, LMW-1 and LMW-2, were both represented, with LMW-1 being present in lower proportion. Flour protein, SDS-sedimentation volume, dough strength (Alveograph W value), dough mixing time and bread loaf volume varied among the genotypes. Most samples had high Alveograph tenacity/extensibility (P/G) ratios, typical of tenacious gluten character. SDS-sedimentation volume, dough strength, dough mixing time and bread loaf volume were all interrelated. An association with flour protein content was observed only for mixing time, while the Alveograph tenacity/extensibility ratio was not correlated with the other parameters. Comparisons within the Glu-B1 and Glu-B3 loci indicated that the high M_r subunit 7 + 8 and the low M_r subunit LMW-2 had significantly greater beneficial effects on gluten strength and bread-making quality than the high M_r subunits 6 + 8 or 20 and the low M_r subunit LMW-1, respectively. High M_r subunit 6 + 8 had greater beneficial effects on quality than subunit 20.     

A Null Gli-D1 Allele with a Positive Effect on Bread Wheat Quality

The French wheat cultivar Darius (Da) has very good bread-making quality, even though it possesses the high M_r glutenin subunit combination 2, 7 and 12, which is associated with poor quality, and a null allele at the Gli-D1 locus. Darius was crossed with three cultivars, Corin (Cor), Capitole (Cap) and Courtot (Cou), of poor, medium, and good quality, respectively. The three progenies (Cor × Da, Cap × Da and Da × Cou) were used to investigate the genetic basis of the good quality of Darius. Gliadin and glutenin compositions were analysed by acid polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (A-PAGE) and SDS-PAGE, respectively, from half F2 grains, and the quality was evaluated using six technological criteria for the corresponding plants. The high M_r glutenin subunit alleles of Darius produced a negative effect on quality. The null allele of Darius, characterised by the absence of the Gli-D1 encoded ω-gliadins, was associated significantly with higher dough tenacity P , and strength W (up to 40% in the Cor × Da progeny). Darius had a higher amount of B zone low M_r glutenin subunits than the three other cultivars. The null allele of Darius reduced the dough extensibility in the two first progenies, and probably increased the ratio of aggregated glutenin to unaggregated gliadins. These results demonstrated that using only one locus breeders can improve particular quality traits.     

Quality-related Epitopes of High Mr Subunits of Wheat Glutenin

Three hundred and eighty four immobilised overlapping nonapeptides, corresponding to the full amino acid sequences of three high M_r subunits of glutenin from bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) grain, were used to determine the linear epitopes recognised by four monoclonal antibodies. These antibodies were selected on the basis of significant and positive correlations between their binding to wheat flour extracts in a two-site ('sandwich') enzyme immunoassay and rheological measures of dough strength, an important aspect of bread wheat quality. The antibodies did not bind to a single, specific sequence but bound a series of related peptides in each high M_r glutenin subunit examined. The sequences recognised were not identical for the four antibodies, but in each case were in the central repeating domain of the high M_r glutenin subunits, and usually comprised regions that overlapped the degenerate repeat nonamer and hexamer sequences. High M_r glutenin subunits that have been associated with greater dough strength, such as the D-genome allelic products 1Dx5 and 1Dy10, displayed an increased number of the epitope sequences. The location of the epitopes in sequences of overlapping β-turns in the repetitive region supports the hypothesis that dough elasticity arises partly from β-turn-forming secondary structure in the repeat regions of the M_r glutenin subunits. Additional β-turn within high M_r subunits may extend their structure to allow increased interaction between the glutenin subunits and with the other proteins of the gluten complex, thus improving dough strength.     

Antigenicity of Wheat Prolamins: Detailed Epitope Analysis using a Panel of Monoclonal Antibodies

Putative continuous epitopes, recognised by five panels of monoclonal antibodies (MAb) with differing specificities for gliadins and glutenin subunits, were identified using overlapping nonapeptides. These peptides corresponded to the entire sequence of an α/β-gliadin, a γ-gliadin, an ω-prolamin (homologous to ω-gliadin), a low molecular weight glutenin subunit (L M_rGS) and several high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HM_r GS). Antibodies that bound to γ- or ω-gliadins, L M_rGS or HM_r GS bound to the peptides at similar concentrations used normally in direct ELISA, but little binding to the peptides was seen for several antibodies that bound specifically to small groups of α/β-gliadins. Epitopes for these antibodies in α/β-gliadin may be discontinuous (i.e. derived from amino acid residues that are brought together by folding of the polypeptide chain or by juxtaposition of two polypeptide chains), since binding of these antibodies to gliadins was greatly decreased following the reduction of intra-molecular disulphide bonds. While some regions in particular subunits were immunodominant, such as the cysteine–cysteine containing peptide found in the central domain of many prolamins, a diversity of reaction patterns was found. Cross-reaction of antibody with peptides from other prolamin families was often due to binding to a peptide having significant sequence homology, but in some cases no homology was obvious. Some major trends were as follows. Antibodies which bound to most or all H M_rGS recognised the central repeat region, while those that were selective for one or two subunits bound to epitopes in the unique N- and/or C-terminal domains. A high proportion of the epitopes recognised by MAb to α-, β-, ω-gliadins and L M_rGS contained cysteine; these MAb may be useful in detecting covalent binding sites within or between subunits. Although a number of MAb bound a wide range of gliadins and GS, several of these recognised single (and differing) epitopes in the target proteins. However, comparatively few MAb recognised epitopes from either the N- or C-terminal regions of the target proteins. Several explanations are possible; either these regions are buried in the immunogen and not accessible for antibody production or alternatively the repeat sequences are immunodominant.     

Comparative Studies of High MrSubunits of Rye and Wheat. II. Partial Amino Acid Sequences

A panel of anti-peptide antibodies specific for each of the different N-terminal sequence types of B- and C-low molecular mass glutenin subunits (L M_rGS) were utilised in immunoblotting studies to identify the chromosomal location of genes encoding different sequences and to characterise the allelic variation of the encoding loci. The MET-type sequences were predominantly found among the B- subunits, while the α- and γ- sequences predominated in the C- subunits. The quantitatively major SHIPGLERPS sequence was found in both the B- and C- mobility regions. Using either biotypes in the cultivar, Aroona or genetic lines containing double rye chromosome 1 substitutions and thus expressing only single LM_r GS alleles, the sequences were determined for most of the major polypeptides expressed by each LM_r GS allele. The L M_rGS from different genomes encoded different numbers of each sequence type. Furthermore, different polypeptides within a particular «block» of subunits encoded by a given allele often had differing N-terminal sequences. However, subunits of similar electrophoretic mobilities encoded by different alleles at each locus usually had identical N-terminal sequences, suggesting that they may instead differ in the number of repeats. In Chinese Spring, genes encoding the SHIPGLERPS and METSHIPGL sequence types were predominantly present on chromosomes 1B and 1D, while the related METSRVPGL sequence was only encoded on 1D. In contrast, the METSCIPGL, α- and γ-sequences were encoded on each of chromosomes 1A, 1B and 1D. Several different electrophoretic and immunoblotting approaches using null lines suggested that some of the α-type L M_rGS may also be encoded by group 6 chromosomes, particularly 6D. The anti- SHIPGLERPS antibody also recognised chromosome 1B encoded β-, γ- and ω-gliadins, while the anti-METSRVPGL antibody recognised 1D encoded α- and β-gliadins. The absence of sequences within the major gliadin families that are highly homologous to the latter two N-terminal L M_rGS sequences may suggest that some monomeric L M_rGS could exist within the electrophoretically-resolved gliadins. These antibodies will provide valuable reagents for the study of the roles of particular L M_rGS families in the structure and function of the glutenin macropolymer, the role of different LM_r GS types in determining the influence of allelic variation of L M_rGS composition on dough properties, and potentially in the development of diagnostics for these flour components.     

High Mr Glutenin Subunits of Indian Wheat Cultivars: Association of Subunits 5 + 10 with the 1BL/1RS Wheat-Rye Translocation

The seed proteins of 110 commercially-released Indian wheat cultivars were fractionated using sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) to determine their high M_r glutenin subunit compositions. Amongst the cultivars, three alleles were indentified for the Glu-A1 locus (subunits 1, 2^* and the null phenotype), eight alleles for the Glu-B1 locus (7, 7 + 8, 7 + 9, 6 + 8, 20, 13 + 16, 17 + 18 and a new allele) and two for the Glu-D1 locus (2 + 12 and 5 + 10). Nine of the cultivars were heterogeneous and possessed two or more 'biotypes' with respect to high M_r subunits. The cultivars were also analysed for the presence of the 1BL/1RS wheat-rye translocation by SDS-PAGE of unreduced prolamins and hybridisation of DNA dot blots with a rye-telomere-specific repetitive DNA probe, pAW-161. Both methods revealed that the majority of newly-released Indian wheat cultivars carry this translocation, thus confirming the agronomic superiority of these lines. While most of the normal wheat cultivars possessed high M_r subunits 2 + 12, 14 of the 18 translocation cultivars had the allelic subunits 5 + 10, even though no selection was made for these subunits during the breeding process. This suggests that the subunits 5 + 10 may play a compensating role for the loss of dough strength associated with the 1BL/1RS translocation.     

Continuous Spectrophotometric Assay and Properties of Ascorbic Acid Oxidising Factors in Wheat

A continuous spectrophotometric assay was developed to measure ascorbic acid oxidation in crude Na₂SO₄ extracts of flour. The rate of ascorbic acid oxidation in flour extracts measured using this method was similar to the rate in flour-water suspensions and 2–4 fold less than the rate in dough measured using an indophenol-xylene extraction method. Flour extracts appeared to contain two ascorbic acid oxidising factors; one with optimal activity at pH 6·3 and 30 °C and the other with optimal activity at pH 10 and 40 °C. The pH 6·3 factor had properties similar to those of ascorbate oxidase (EC 1·10·3·3) in its pH and temperature stability, strong inhibition by NaN₃, KCN and diethyldithiocarbamate, inactivation by proteases, and greater stereospecificity towards -ascorbic acid than -isoascorbic acid. The pH 6·3 factor was most concentrated in the pollard milling fraction of wheat and was lowest in flour. The pH 10 factor had several properties indicating non-enzymic oxidation of ascorbic acid; it was not inactivated by proteases, it was inhibited poorly or not at all by the above ascorbate oxidase inhibitors, and it had low specificity for stereoisomers of ascorbic acid.     

Water Vapor Diffusivity in Vitreous and Mealy Wheat Endosperm

The water vapor diffusivities of vitreous and mealy wheat endosperms were measured using diffusion cells containing wax-scaled cylinders of endosperm. The diffusion cells were incubated in a chamber that was maintained at a constant temperature and relative humidity. A water vapor gradient was created by filling each diffusion cell with desiccant. A steady-state condition was achieved within 24 h. The mean diffusivities for the vitreous endosperm samples of cvs Arizona and Len were 2·0 × 10^-8 cm²/s. The diffusivities for mealy samples of cvs Logan and Titan were 3·5 and 9·1 × 10^-8 cm²/2, respectively. The liquid water diffusivities of whole caryopses were similar for five vitreous and five mealy wheat samples tested. No change was detected in the diffusion mechanism for any of the samples in the temperature range tested. The energy of activation (E) was significantly (P < 0·05) higher for endosperm for cv. Len, a vitreous sample, than for cv. Titan, a mealy sample.     

Comparative Studies of HighMrSubunits of Rye and Wheat. I. Isolation and Biochemical Characterisation and Effects on Gluten Extensibility

The structural features of highM_rglutenin subunits of wheat were compared with those of analogous proteins from rye. Subunits of two rye cultivars (Danko and Halo) and of the wheat cultivar Rektor were isolated from defatted flours by extraction with 50% (v/v) aqueous propan-1-ol under reducing conditions at 60°C followed by precipitation using a 60% concentration of propan-1-ol. The yields of dialysed and freeze-dried subunits were 0·33% and 0·32% (w/w of flour), respectively (rye cultivars), and 0·91% (Rektor). SDS–PAGE revealed that the rye cultivars contained at least five subunits with mobilities corresponding to the x-type subunits of wheat. Separation by RP–HPLC indicated that the rye cultivars did not differ in the qualitative composition of subunits, but in their quantitative proportions. The surface hydrophobicities of the rye subunits were significantly lower than those of wheat subunits. The amino acid compositions of single rye subunits were characterised by high contents of Glx, Gly and Pro, and they were closely related to those of wheat subunits, except that the Glx content was generally lower and the Cys content higher. Notable differences between rye and wheat subunits were found in their contributions to gluten strength. Whereas wheat subunits, reoxidised with potassium bromate and mixed with a standard wheat flour, caused a significant increase in gluten strength, reoxidised rye subunits had the opposite effect.     

Production of Proteases by Fusarium Species Grown on Barley Grains and in Media Containing Cereal Proteins

The production of proteases by the cereal plant pathogens Fusarium culmorum, F. graminearum and F. poae was followed through seven days of cultivation. The fungi were grown in mineral and in gluten culture media, and on autoclaved barley grains. The proteolytic activities of each sample were analysed at pH 2·2, 5·0 and 8·0 and the pH optima of the most active proteases were determined. All of the fungi grown in the gluten medium produced proteases that were active at pH levels between 6 and 10 and were most active at about pH 9·0. Fusarium poae also produced acid protease(s) with pH optima between 3.0 and 3.5 when grown in the gluten medium. No protease activity was detected in the cultures that were grown in the mineral medium, except that a small amount was formed after the glucose substrate was depleted. When grown on the barley grain medium the Fusarium species produced protease activities that were similar to the neutral and alkaline ones present in the gluten cultures, but no pH 2·2 protease activity was detected. The alkaline proteases had some characteristics that were similar to those of chymotrypsin.     

Fatty acid composition of lipids of Australian oats

A method using methanolic sulphuric acid as transmethylating reagent was developed for determining the fatty acid composition of lipids of oats. The method was optimised for reaction conditions and applied to the determination of the fatty acid composition of lipids of a number of varieties of Australian oats grown in several locations. Thirteen fatty acids were detected with oleic, linoleic and palmitic acids comprising more than 95% of the total fatty acids. Total lipid content of the oats was positively related to the proportion of stearic (r=0·32) and oleic (r=0·81) acids and negatively correlated with the proportion of palmitic (r=−0·64), linoleic (r=−0·39) and linolenic (r=−0·65) acids. Significant positive correlations were found between total lipid content and absolute content of the major fatty acids (r=0·670·98), except for linolenic acid (r=0·12). Environment had significant effects on fatty acid composition, but variety was the controlling factor. The broad sense heritability estimated from individual plot ranged from 69 to 73% and that from the average of three replications and eight locations ranged from 94 to 98% for the major fatty acids. It is possible to improve fatty acid composition of oats by breeding procedures.     

The endogenous endoprotease inhibitors of barley and malt and their roles in malting and brewing

Endoproteases play an important role in barley germination by controlling the hydrolysis of the grain's storage proteins into peptides and amino acids that are needed by the young plant. During malting, the commercial version of this process, many high M_r barley biopolymers are converted into malt nutrients that can be utilized by yeasts during brewing. However, barley and malt both contain endogenous proteins that inhibit the enzymatic activities of these proteases. High levels of these inhibitors can cause brewing problems by preventing the proteases from producing optimal levels of soluble proteins and amino acids. Both high and low M_r inhibitors of cysteine proteases occur in barley and malt. Two of the high M_r inhibitors, lipid transfer protein 1 (LTP1) and LTP2, have been purified and studied. Recently, members of the trypsin/alpha-amylase inhibitor protein family (CM proteins) have been shown to inhibit the activity of SEP-1, a purified serine class barley protease. No inhibitors of aspartic proteases or metalloproteases have yet been purified, but it has been reported that endogenous metalloprotease inhibitors do exist. The inhibitors of the cysteine proteases and metalloproteases are probably the ones most important for brewing, because members of these two protease classes apparently catalyse most of the protein hydrolysis that occurs during malt mashing and, presumably, also during malting. More biochemical studies are needed to clarify how these proteins interact with the proteases to control protein hydrolysis during germination.     

Effects of Cultivar and Environment on β-(1,3)-(1,4)- -glucan Content and Acid Extract Viscosity of Spanish Barleys

The acid extract viscosities and β-glucan contents of ten two- and six-rowed barley cultivars grown at seven locations in three consecutive years in Spain were studied in the present work. The viscosities varied from 2·4 to 24·8 centistokes (cSt) and the mean value was 6·4 cSt. The average β-glucan content of barleys determined by HPLC was 3·5% with a range of 1·9–5·5%. Significant differences were found in both β-glucan content and acid extract viscosity between different cultivars, locations and years. The β-glucan contents and viscosities of winter cultivars were higher than those of spring. Cvs. Barbarrosa and Hatif de Grignon were the genotypes with the highest values for both parameters, while cv. Beka had the lowest viscosity and β-glucan content. Environmental factors influenced both parameters. The acid extract viscosities of barleys were correlated negatively with the amount of precipitation (r=−0·754;P<0·05). Barleys grown in wet and rainy areas (Girona and La Coruña) had lower viscosity values.