Comparative studies of subunit compositions of legumins from various cultivars of Vicia faba L. seeds.

Abstract

We compared the characteristics of storage proteins, especially the subunit compositions of legumins, from typical six cultivars of broad bean seeds planted in Japan. The results thus obtained indicate (1) there were no large differences in the contents and the amino acid compositions of legumins among the six cultivars, (2) all legumins from the six cultivars were composed of six subunits with molecular weights of 51000, 49000, 36000, 23000, 20500 and 19000 (3) all legumins were composed of three intermediary subunits with molecular weights of 61700 59800 and 48000, which consisted with acidic and basic subunits, (4) pi of acidic and basic subunits were around 5.5 and 8.5, respectively, (5) the number and the proportions of subunits of legumins were different from the standpoint of molecular charge of the subunit among the six cultivars, (6) those legumins could be classified into three groups based on size of the seeds of their sources of broad beans, i.e., small-, medium- and large-size groups from the standpoint of the subunit compositions.