Transcriptome analysis reveals differentially expressed storage protein transcripts in seeds of Aegilops and wheat

Y Kan, Y Wan, RAC Mitchel, F Beaudoin, D Leader, KJ Edwards, RL Poole, D Wang, PR Shewry

Research output: Contribution to journalArticle (Academic Journal)peer-review

50 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Transcriptional profiles of developing grain of wheat and three Aegilops species (Ae. caudata, Ae. cylindrica, Ae. tauschii) were compared using an EST-based array procedure. This identified 22 genes which were over-expressed in all three Aegilops species, two of which were ‘weakly similar’ to avenin storage proteins of oats. Sequencing of the corresponding transcripts demonstrated that each corresponded to a small family of proteins called avenin-like a and b. Sequence comparisons demonstrated that these proteins belong to the ‘prolamin superfamily’ of plant proteins, with the closest relatives being the γ-gliadins and LMW subunits of wheat and avenins of oats. Furthermore, the type a and b proteins differ from each other in that the latter contain a duplicated sequence of about 120 residues. The a-type proteins clearly correspond to the LMW gliadins characterised previously. In contrast, proteins corresponding to the b-type sequences have not been previously characterized but may form part of the glutenin fraction and hence contribute to processing quality. The higher expression levels of the avenin-like proteins in Aegilops species and variation in the amino acid sequences of the b-type proteins between the species suggest that they could provide a source of variation for wheat improvement.
Translated title of the contributionTranscriptome analysis reveals differentially expressed storage protein transcripts in seeds of Aegilops and wheat
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)75 - 85
Number of pages11
JournalJournal of Cereal Science
Volume44 (1)
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Jul 2006

Bibliographical note

Publisher: Elsevier

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Transcriptome analysis reveals differentially expressed storage protein transcripts in seeds of Aegilops and wheat'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this