Synthesis of Endosperm Proteins in Wheat Seed during Maturation

The time of synthesis, the molecular weight, and the relative glutamine-glutamate and proline to leucine ratios of the endosperm proteins of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv. Logan) were determined using a sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel technique. In general, synthesis of most proteins occurred through much of the maturation of the seed, but past 20 days the rate of synthesis of the high molecular weight proteins declined more rapidly than those of lower molecular weight. The synthesis of at least one protein occurred only late in seed maturation. Several of the high molecular weight proteins had glutamate-glutamine to leucine ratios higher than the remainder of the proteins. No evidence for proteins of a polyglutamine-glutamate and/or proline nature was found.     

Immunocytochemical Localization of Wheat Storage Proteins in Endosperm Cells 30 Days After Anthesis

Antisera against seven different wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)storage protein subfractions were characterized using (1) ELISAwith gliadins and low- and high-molecular weight glutenin subunitsand (2) electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE and acidic buffer PAGE) andimmunoblotting. The specificities of these antisera (polyclonalantibodies) and 13 monoclonal antibodies covered various patternsof reactivity with alpha-, beta-, gamma- and omega-gliadinsand low- and high-molecular weight glutenins. The antisera andantibodies were applied to ultrathin sections of wheat endospermtissue, from kernels fixed 30 d after anthesis, and were detectedby secondary antibodies tagged with either 5 or 15 nm gold particlesusing transmission electron microscopy. Labelling was denserwhen the small gold particles were used but irrespective ofgold particle size, labelling of polyclonal antisera predominatedwhen the endosperm cells were subjected to both mono- and polyclonalantibodies. Each of the antisera and monoclonal antibodies thatlabelled the protein bodies, labelled them more or less uniformly.This indicates that only one kind of protein body, containingall gliadin and glutenin subfractions, exists during this stageof grain development. Electron-dense globular inclusions foundin many protein bodies were not labelled. Label was also foundon protein-like material present in the lumen of the rough endoplasmicreticulum and on vesicles of the Golgi apparatus. Thus concentrationof storage proteins takes place both at the site of synthesis,the lumen of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and at the siteof processing and transport, the vesicles of the Golgi apparatus.Fusions between these proteinaceous materials give rise to largerprotein bodies and ultimately to the protein matrix. Key words: Wheat, immunocytochemistry, protein bodies, rough endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi apparatus     

Development of the Endosperm of Wheat

Mid transverse sections of kernels from developmental seriesof English spring wheats were examined in order to study themodes of formation of subaleurone endosperm cells and thoseof the inner endosperm. It was found that the two types of cellarise by the same process but differ in respect of time of initiation.As a result of differences in age the two cell types differin the amount of starch they contain. The amount of proteinis similar in subaleurone and inner endosperm cells; however,because of greater dilution with starch and consequently largercell size in the inner endosperm, the protein concentrationis higher in the subaleurone endosperm. The significance of the modified aleurone layer at the innerextremity of the crease has been investigated. The difference in function of this region from that of the remainderof the aleurone layer is of some importance in the formationof the crease.     

单克隆抗体技术在小麦贮藏蛋白研究及其遗传改良中的应用进展

近20年来,人们制备了许多小麦种子贮藏蛋白的单克隆抗体(Monoclonal Antibody,McAb),一方面作为有效工具研究胚乳贮藏蛋白(主要是麦谷蛋白聚集体、特定的谷蛋白亚基及醇溶蛋白)的结构与功能关系;另一方面用作诊断试剂(diagnostic tools),为筛选具有合适加工品质的小麦品种提供依据。本文综述了国内外单克隆抗体技术在小麦贮藏蛋白研究及其遗传改良中的应用进展,并展望其应用前景。     

Fermentation of Maize Bran, Oat Bran, and Wheat Bran by Bacteroides ovatus V975

Bacteroides ovatus is a Gram-negative obligate anaerobe that was isolated from the human colon and is capable of utilizing xylan. The objective of this study was to evaluate the ability of B. ovatus V975 to digest maize bran, oat bran, and wheat bran as well as the isolated cell walls from each bran source. Strain V975 was incubated in basal medium that contained either 0.1 or 0.3 g of each bran or each bran cell wall for 0, 24, 48, and 72 h. Acetate and succinate were the main products detected from each fermentation; however, less of each end product was produced from the isolated cell walls than from each bran. More of the oat bran was digested (in vitro dry matter disappearance = 74.8%) during the 72 h incubation than any other bran source. While each bran contained arabinose and xylose, more glucose, galactose, and mannose were utilized by strain V975 during the 72-h incubation than either pentose sugar. Compared with each bran, the bran cell walls had lower concentrations of most sugars, and more glucose than any other sugar was utilized by strain V975. These results suggest that strain V975 preferentially utilizes glucose, galactose, and mannose in each bran, while glucose is the main sugar fermented in bran cell walls. Received: 19 June 1997 / Accepted: 31 July 1997     

Characterization and Complexity of Wheat Developing Endosperm mRNAs

Free and membrane-bound (MB) polysomes and the corresponding polyadenylated RNAs (polyA⁺ RNAs) have been isolated from developing wheat endosperm (Triticum aestivum L.) Free and MB poly(A)⁺ RNAs, analyzed on isokinetic sucrose gradient with [³H]polyuridylic acid [poly(U)] hybridization detection, appear to be 11S to 12S in size with a 7% poly(A) tail for MB RNAs. cDNAs synthesized using both of these mRNA populations in presence of a potent RNase inhibitor (RNasin), have been used for hybridization kinetics experiments. The mean square fitting analysis of the hybridization kinetics between MB cDNA and its template reveals the presence of two abundance classes representing roughly ⅔ and ⅓ of the MB poly(A)⁺ RNAs and containing the information for approximately 75 superabundant species (21,000 copies per cell) and 750 intermediate species (530 copies per cell), respectively. The mRNA population extracted from free polysomes is divided into three abundance classes. The first one is composed of superabundant sequences which would correspond to the MB superabundant mRNAs. The free mRNAs consist of about 11,000 diverse sequences, most of them being rare sequences. Heterologous hybridizations of MB cDNAs to free mRNAs have shown that some mRNAs are common to both populations. This could be explained either by a partial contamination or by free polysomes en route to their membrane destination. Contrary to the low number of diverse mRNAs corresponding to the legume seed storage proteins, the wheat endosperm superabundant mRNAs consist of about 75 different sequences which would encode most of the seed storage proteins, especially gliadins.     

The Developing Endosperm of Wheat -- A Stereological Analysis

A stereological analysis of light and electron micrographs ofwheat endosperm during grain formation and development providesinformation on a range of parameters of cell structure. Thecell volume increases approximately ten-fold; mitochondrialnumber per cell increases but the individual mitochondrial volumedecreases, the overall volume fraction of the cell occupiedby mitochondria remaining fairly constant. Amyloplast divisionstops before cell division, resulting in the distribution ofpreviously-formed plastids; there are differences in starchgranule growth rate in different cell layers of the endosperm.The rough endoplasmic reticulum increases four-fold in areaper cell and its surface-to-volume ratio increases just priorto protein deposition. Triticum aestivum, L., wheat, endosperm, seed development, starch, stereology     

Charge Dependent Distribution of Endogenous Proteins within Vitellogenic Ovarian Follicles of Actias luna

In vitellogenic ovarian follicles of Actis luna, internal Ca(2+) activity currents create an electrical gradient which influences the distribution of charged macromolecules between nurse cells and oocyte. We show that, between oocyte and nurse cells, there is an ionic gradient of 1-12 mV with the nurse cells being more electronegative than the oocyte by an average 3.5+/-0.2 mV(s.e.)(p<0.001). As previously reported for another saturniid, Hyalophora cecropia, the transbridge ionic gradient of luna: (1) is focused across the intercellular bridges, (2) is abolished by 200 &mgr;M vanadate and (3) includes a [Ca(2+)](i) gradient. Endogenous soluble proteins collected from control and from vanadate treated populations of nurse cells and oocytes were separated by two-dimensional (2-D) gel electrophoresis and visualized with sliver stain. Densitometric analysis showed that 14 out of the 19 acidic proteins and six of the eight basic proteins studied, changed their oocyte-to-nurse cell distribution in consort with change in the transbridge ionic gradient. This suggests that a transbridge ionic gradient may be, at least within the saturniidae, a method for maintaining different molecular concentrations in nurse cells compared to oocytes. Copyright 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved     

转反义硫氧还蛋白基因小麦萌发种子中蛋白质的变化

硫氧还蛋白h（thioredoxin h,Trx h）是一类广泛存在于生物体内的多功能活性蛋白,分子量约为12kD,它通过还原靶蛋白中的二硫键参与酶活性调节、抗胁迫、信号传导等许多重要的生命活动。硫氧还蛋白h能促进谷物类种子萌发过程,主要表现在以下2个方面：（1）在籽粒萌发期间,硫氧还蛋白可通过还原储存蛋白的分子内二硫键使其更易于被降解;（2）硫氧还蛋白也可以直接地通过将酶还原或者间接地通过使酶抑制蛋白失活而激活酶。源于Phalaris coerulescens的trxs基因（thioredoxin s,trxs）与小麦硫氧还蛋白h基因（thioredoxin h,trx h）同属于硫氧还蛋白基因家族,它们的cDNA有94％的同源性,表达产物也有相似的生物功能。我们采用基因枪法将反义trxs基因导入小麦,获得了可稳定遗传的小麦,并检测出转基因种子中硫氧还蛋白h表达量、水溶蛋白和醇溶蛋白的还原状态以及α-淀粉酶活性均低于对照小麦;另外,通过模拟降雨抗穗发芽试验证实转基因株系具有很强的抗穗发芽能力。以转反义trxs基因抗穗发芽小麦为材料,检测反义trxs基因小麦籽粒萌发过程中蛋白质的变化,探讨转反义trxs基因小麦的抗穗发芽机理。研究表明反义trxs基因能够减缓KCl可溶性蛋白中Chloroform-methanol（CM）蛋白向代谢类蛋白的转化进程,在萌发初期降低籽粒代谢类蛋白的含量,使籽粒代谢速度下降,而CM蛋白主要包含一些分子量小于20kD的蛋白质。在籽粒成熟过程中,硫氧还蛋白能够阻止麦谷蛋白亚基形成谷蛋白聚合体的过程,在转基因小麦中麦谷蛋白更易于形成大分子量的谷蛋白大聚合体,使得转基因小麦中的谷蛋白在萌发初期更难于被水解,因此转基因小麦籽粒会因谷蛋白难于降解而萌发较慢。另外,反义trxs基因减慢了麦胚中10kD蛋白的降解过程。     

Two Groups of Low Molecular Weight Hydrophobic Proteins from Barley Endosperm

The fraction under 25 000 molecular weight from the chloroform-methanol2: 1 (v/v) extract of barley endosperm contains two differentgroups of hydrophobic proteins. One group consists of the fourmajor components of the low molecular weight fraction presentin hordein preparations (A-hordeins). It is shown that theiramino acid compositions are outside the range of typical prolaminsand that therefore their designation as A-hordeins is inappropriate.Their chemical characteristics closely resemble those of thewheat CM proteins, which are also salt-soluble and hydrophobic.Components of the second group have high isoelectric points(>pH 9.0), molecular weights in the range 10 000–16000, and amino acid compositions within the definition of prolamins.They seem to be equivalent to the low molecular weight gliadinsfrom wheat, so it is suggested that they be designated low molecularweight hordeins.     

Extraction of Wheat Flour Proteins with Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate and Their Molecular Weight Distribution

By extraction of wheat flour with sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) solution at pH 6.8, about 76% of the total flour nitrogen solubilized into clear supernatant. This solvent was more effective for extraction of wheat protein than 0.01 m acetic acid, aluminium lactate-lactic acid buffer (pH 3.1), AUC-solvent (0.1 m acetic acid, 3 m urea and 0.01 m cetyltrimethyl-ammomum bromide) and 3,5-diiodosalicylic acid lithium salt etc. The molecular weight distribution of the SDS-soluble proteins was studied by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and by molecular sieve chromatography on controlled pore glass (CPG–10–500) without prior reduction of disulfide linkages of the proteins. Most of the SDS-soluble proteins had molecular weight of less than 75,000, suggesting single-chained proteins. A small amount of relatively high molecular weight proteins which contained intermolecular disulfide linkages was also detected in the gel of electrophoresis, while high molecular weight protein which did not migrate into gel matrix during electrophoresis without prior reduction of disulfide linkages existed in trace amount in the SDS-soluble fraction.

The SDS-insoluble proteins were almost completely extracted by further extraction with SDS in combination with 2-mercaptoethanol or with mercuric chloride.     

水稻谷蛋白GluA-2基因在小麦胚乳中的表达

水稻(Oryza sativa L.)谷蛋白(Glutelin)约占水稻储藏蛋白总量的80%,谷蛋白赖氨酸含量较高并易于被人体消化吸收.为了提高小麦(Triticum aestivum L.)的营养品质,将水稻谷蛋白GluA-2基因的cDNA序列导人小麦栽培品种Bobwhite(T. aestivum cv.Bobwhite).共轰击了600个小麦幼胚,经PCR和Southern杂交鉴定,共获得4棵转GluA-2基因小麦;SDS-PAGE分析表明,GluA-2基因在3棵转基因植株及其后代中表达,在1棵转基因植株中未表达,但其内源的高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基Bx7和By9含量显著降低,并且可遗传至T1代.     

水稻谷蛋白GluA-2基因在小麦胚乳中的表达(英文)

水稻(Oryza sativa L.)谷蛋白(Glutelin)约占水稻储藏蛋白总量的80％,谷蛋白赖氨酸含量较高并易于被人体消化吸收。为了提高小麦(Triticum aestivum L. )的营养品质,将水稻谷蛋白GluA-2基因的cDNA序列导入小麦栽培品种Bobwhite(T. aestivum cv. Bobwhite)。共轰击了600个小麦幼胚,经PCR和Southern杂交鉴定,共获得4棵转GluA-2基因小麦;SDS-PAGE分析表明,GluA-2基因在3棵转基因植株及其后代中表达,在1棵转基因植株中未表达,但其内源的高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基Bx7和By9含量显著降低,并且可遗传至T_代。     

The Deterioration of Wheat Embryo and Endosperm Function with Age

The rates of senescence of embryos and aleurone tissues of different-agedwheat was compared. Germination behaviour was used as the primarycriterion of embryo senescence and GA₃-induced reducing sugarrelease and -amylase production were the primary criteria ofaleurone senescence. The results suggest that both tissues ageindependently though at identical rates, and that the primaryfactor in the ageing process is probably related to a basicaspect of metabolism or intracellular integrity, rather thanany functional capacity of the cells.     

The Development and Abnormality of Embryo and Endosperm in Trigrain Wheat

The development processes of embryos and endosperm of trigrain wheat were observed by using paraffin section method and intact dissection. The results were as follows: 1. Fertilization: the development and progression of embryo and endosperm were similar to those as common wheat. 2. The grain come from the primary pistil embryo developed more early among the three-grains. 3. Many abnormal structures, such as Conversion of position between the top and base, back and belly of embryos, horizontal embryos, embryos moved on top, polyembryony and endosperm deficiency etc, appeared in additional pistils. All abnormalities accounted for 88 percent in whole additional pistils.     

Mature Cereal Grain Endosperm: Rapid Glass Knife Sectioning for Examination of Proteins

A simple, rapid procedure was developed by which the quality of endosperm protein in cereal grains could be evaluated by microscopic observation of the subcellular protein structure. Kernels with vitreous endosperm were sectioned without pretreatment at 3-4 μ with a glass knife. Floury endosperm tissues were fixed in 10% glutaraldehyde, pH 7.4, for 16 hr at 5 C, and boiled to gelatinize the starch. After drying, this tissue was sectioned as for vitreous endosperm. Sections were mounted on gelatin-coated slides and destarched with a-amylase. To identify sites of prolamine, alcohol-soluble protein was extracted for 1 hr at about 70 C with 80% ethanol. The subcellular proteins were stained with either iodine vapor or various organic dyes. Proteins were differentiated by a combination of staining and mounting in selected high refractive index liquids.     

黑小麦与普通小麦过氧化物酶和蛋白质的比较研究

以小麦作对照．系统研究了2种黑小麦幼苗生长过程中过氧化物酶(POD)活性的变化．同时利用聚丙烯酰胺凝胶垂直板电泳对2种黑小麦的幼苗生长不同时期根、芽的过氧化物酶同工酶及其蛋白质进行了分离分析。结果显示：黑小麦POD酶活性高于小麦。黑小麦POD同工酶谱与小麦差异明显．且在幼苗生长不同时期变化显著。幼根与幼芽中可溶性蛋白的合成动态具有明显差异。