Changes in protein electrophoretic patterns during germination of broad beans (Vicia faba L.) with and without hard-to-cook characteristics

Summary Changes in seed proteins over a five-day germination period in a single cultivar of broad bean grown at different locations were examined using aluminum lactate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (AL-PAGE). Seed proteins were extracted in 0.1 M acetic acid containing 10% 2-mercaptoethanol. Extractability of proteins was less in beans which were hard-to-cook. Unlike soft-to-cook, the beans which developed hardness due to growth location showed differences in their electrophoretic patterns and had additional protein spots as revealed by 2-D AL/SDS-PAGE procedure. Continuous but non-uniform disappearance of some proteins and formation of new proteins was observed during germination of half seed segments. Disappearance of protein bands and loss of staining intensity appeared to be more abrupt in beans without hard-to-cook characteristics as compared to those that were hard-to-cook. Electrophoretic patterns of the developing root-shoot axes from soft and hard seeds were almost similar regardless of initial differences in their cotyledon proteins. Shoot/root axes developing from hard seeds showed better growth compared with those of the soft seeds.