Patologia i ochrana lasu. (Forstpathologie und Forstschutz)

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Isolation and Characterization of High‐Molecular‐Weight (HMW) Gliadins from Wheat Flour

The aim of this study was to isolate high‐molecular‐weight (HMW) gliadins from wheat flour and to characterize the protein components that contribute to HMW gliadins. Wheat flour Akteur was extracted with a modified Osborne procedure, and the fraction soluble in 60% ethanol (total gliadins) was separated by gel‐permeation HPLC, yielding three fractions, GP1–GP3. GP1 (21.5%) consisted of oligomeric HMW gliadins, GP2 (15.2%) of ω5‐gliadins, and GP3 (63.3%) of ω1,2‐, α‐, and γ‐gliadins. Two‐dimensional SDS‐PAGE of HMW gliadins showed that interchain disulfide bonds were present in HMW gliadins. The molecular mass distribution of HMW gliadins determined by gel‐permeation HPLC was in a range from 66,000 to 680,000 with an average degree of polymerization of 13. Reduced HMW gliadins were further separated by preparative reversed‐phase HPLC into four subfractions (RP1, RP2, RP3, and RP4), which were characterized by SDS‐PAGE and semiquantitative N‐terminal sequencing. HMW gliadins of the wheat flour Akteur contained all types of gluten proteins: 48% low‐molecular‐weight glutenin subunits, 18% γ‐gliadins, 13% α‐gliadins, 9% ω1,2‐gliadins, 8% HMW glutenin subunits, and 4% ω5‐gliadins. We postulate that the existence of HMW gliadins can be explained by the presence of terminators, which interrupt the polymerization of glutenin subunits during biosynthesis and lead to polymers of limited size (oligomers) that are still soluble in aqueous ethanol.     

Studies on Effects of Microbial Transglutaminase on Gluten Proteins of Wheat. I. Biochemical Analysis

The enzyme transglutaminase (TG) is known to have beneficial effects on breadmaking. However, only limited information is available on the structural changes of gluten proteins caused by TG treatment. The effect of TG has, therefore, been systematically studied by means of model peptides, suspensions of wheat flours and doughs. The treatment of synthetic peptides mimicking amino acid sequences of HMW subunits of glutenin with TG results in isopeptide bonds between glutamine and lysine residues. To study the effect on gluten proteins, different amounts of TG (0 to 900 mg enzyme protein per kg) were dissolved in a buffer and added to wheat flour. The flour suspensions were incubated and centrifuged and the residues were successively extracted with water, a salt solution, 60% aqueous ethanol (gliadin fraction) and SDS solution including a reducing agent (glutenin fraction). The characterization of the fractions by amino acid analysis, SDS‐PAGE, gel permeation HPLC and reversed‐phase HPLC has indicated that the quantity of extractable gliadins decreases by increasing TG amounts. Among gliadins, the ω5‐type was affected to the greatest extent by the reduction of extractability, followed by the ω1,2‐, α‐ and γ‐types. The oligomeric portion of the gliadin fractions (HMW gliadin) was strongly reduced when flour was treated with 450 and 900 mg TG per kg of flour, respectively. In the first instance, the quantity of the glutenin fractions increased by the treatment of flour with 90 and 450 mg TG per kg of flour, and significantly decreased by the treatment of flour with 900 mg TG per kg of flour. Parallel to an increase in TG concentration, the amounts of glutenin‐bound ω‐gliadins and HMW subunits were strongly reduced, whereas the LMW subunits reached a maximal amount after treatment with 450 mg TG per kg of flour. The insoluble residue was almost free of protein when flour was treated with lower amounts of TG. Higher amounts led to a great increase of protein in the residues. The effects of TG on doughs were similar to those of flour suspensions, but less strongly pronounced probably due to the lower water content of the dough system. Sequence analysis of peptides from a thermolytic digest of the insoluble residue revealed that HMW subunits of glutenin and α‐gliadins were predominantly involved in cross‐links formed by TG treatment.     

Following the track of “Híbrido de Timor” origin by cytogenetic and flow cytometry approaches

The supposedly first plant of the coffee cultivar “Híbrido de Timor” (HT) was found in 1927, being denoted as HT CIFC 4106. According to different researchers, this plant originated from a natural interspecific hybridation between Coffea arabica (4x = 44) and Coffea canephora (2x = 22). From HT CIFC 4106, other HT accessions were obtained and employed to establish germplasm banks in some countries. As HT has been widely used in Coffea breeding programs, this study aimed to characterize different HT accessions with regard to ploidy, nuclear DNA content and base composition. Based on these data, the ploidy of HT CIFC 4106 was determined, suggesting that this accession is an allotriploid formed from reduced reproductive cell of C. canephora and of C. arabica. All HT CIFC 4106 plants exhibited the same 2C-value, AT% and chromosome number, showing that vegetative propagation has enabled the multiplication and germplasm conservation of this cytotype since 1927. Further five analyzed HT accessions showed distinct nuclear 2C-value and AT%. Since HT CIFC 4106 has been considered the first HT, it is suggested that aneuploid reproductive cells of this HT originated the other plants. Considering that HT accessions are used in the development of C. arabica cultivars, the findings of this study are important for the design of strategies to obtain new cultivars for breeding programs. Moreover, these data represent the first step to understand the origin and genome evolution of the HT.     

Identification of disulfide bonds in wheat gluten proteins by means of mass spectrometry/electron transfer dissociation

Disulfide bonds within gluten proteins play a key role in the breadmaking performance of wheat flour. In the present study, disulfide bonds of wheat gluten proteins were identified by using a new liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) technique with alternating electron transfer dissociation (ETD)/collision-induced dissociation (CID). Wheat flour was partially hydrolyzed with thermolysin (pH 6.5, 37 °C, 16 h), and the digest was subjected to LC-MS with alternating ETD/CID fragmentation. Whereas CID provided peptide fragments with intact disulfide bonds, cleavage of disulfide bonds was preferred over peptide backbone fragmentations in ETD. The simultaneous observation of disulfide-linked and disulfide-cleaved peptide ions in the mass spectra not only provided distinct interpretation with high confidence but also simplified the conventional approach for determination of disulfide bonds, which often requires two separate experiments with and without chemical reduction. By application of the new method 14 cystine peptides were identified. Eight peptides confirmed previously established disulfide bonds within gluten proteins, and the other six cystine peptides were identified for the first time. One of the newly identified cystine peptides represented a "head-to-tail" cross-link between high molecular weight glutenin subunits. This type of cross-link, which has been postulated as an integral part of glutenin models published previously, has now been proven experimentally for the first time. From the six remaining cystine peptides interchain disulfide bonds between α-gliadins, γ-gliadins, and low molecular weight glutenin subunits were established.     

Changes of folates, dietary fiber, and proteins in wheat as affected by germination

Wheat kernels of the cultivar 'Tommi' were germinated for up to 168 h at 15, 20, 25, or 30 degrees C. Samples were taken at different stages of germination and were analyzed for the quantitative protein composition using an extraction/HPLC method, for folate vitamers using a stable isotope dilution assay, and for soluble, insoluble, and total dietary fiber using a gravimetric method. Gluten proteins were substantially degraded during germination. During the first stages of germination the degradation of glutenins was predominant, whereas longer germination times were required to degrade gliadins. The optimal temperature for gliadin degradation was 20 degrees C, and that for glutenin degradation was 25 degrees C. Omega5- and omega1,2-gliadins were less sensitive to proteolytic degradation than alpha- and gamma-gliadins, and LMW subunits of glutenin were less sensitive than HMW subunits. During germination a time- and temperature-dependent increase of total folate occurred. A maximum 3.6-fold concentration was obtained after 102 h of germination at 20 and 25 degrees C including 5-methyltetrafolate as the major vitamer. The concentration of dietary fiber remained constant or decreased during the first 96 h of germination. Prolonged germination times of up to 168 h led to a substantial increase of total dietary fiber and to a strong increase of the soluble dietary fiber by a factor of 3, whereas the insoluble fiber decreased by 50%.     

Comparison of methods for the quantitative determination of phospholipids in lecithins and flour improvers

Phospholipid classes were determined qualitatively and quantitatively in eight commercial lecithins and three flour improvers by thin-layer chromatography (TLC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and (31)P nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((31)P NMR). The total amounts of phospholipids as well as the amounts of phospholipid classes in the samples were comparable but depended on the method used for quantification. Highest selectivity was provided by (31)P NMR as all phospholipids and lysophospholipids could easily be quantified. By TLC only lysophosphatidylcholine could not be quantified, whereas HPLC was the method with the lowest selectivity, because lysophospholipids, except lysophosphatidylethanolamine, could not be determined. Sensitivity was best for HPLC and TLC with detection limits of 20-170 mug/mL. By means of (31)P NMR these figures increased by a factor of 10-70. The coefficients of variation were 5.5, 6.8, and 12.8% for quantification by TLC, HPLC, and (31)P NMR, respectively, showing that TLC was the method with the best reproducibility. Altogether, (31)P NMR can be recommended for the quantification of phospholipids, because it is easy to perform and results can be obtained quickly. As it requires minimum instrumental equipment, TLC is a good alternative to (31)P NMR. If high sensitivity is required, HPLC is the best method.