Abstract
Barley malting quality depends on seed characteristics achieved during grain development and germination. One important parameter is protein accumulation in the mature seed, which may vary between cultivars. Here we conducted a protein pattern analysis in the range of pI 4–7 of mature grains from five Mexican barley cultivars, commonly used for malt and beer production. Reproducibly distinct protein spots, separated by 2D SDS PAGE, were identified by mass spectrometry and considered as potential markers for cultivars with distinct seed protein accumulation. The expression patterns of glutamate decarboxylase (GAD) and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI1-1) were followed at transcript level during grain development for three independent growth cycles to establish whether differences between cultivars were reproducible. Quantitative determination of PDI1-1 protein levels by ELISA confirmed a reproducibly, distinctive accumulation and post-translational modifications between cultivars, which were independent of plant growth regimes. According to its impact on differential storage protein accumulation, we propose the PDI1-1 protein as potential biomarker for Mexican malting barley cultivars.
Highlights
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important cereal used worldwide in food and malt for beer production
Proteins outside pI 4–7 were present in seeds form all cultivars, the separation on a wider range caused poor resolution of the majority of spots detected by Coomassie staining (S4 Fig)
The physical and chemical properties of Mexican barley cultivars commonly used in malt and beer production have been described mostly in agronomical reports [14,15,16,17,37]
Summary
Barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) is an important cereal used worldwide in food and malt for beer production. In North America the six-row barley is widely used for malt production [1]. Malting quality depends on seed characteristics achieved during grain development, as well as after germination. Important parameters include the proteins stored in mature seeds and others synthesized and accumulated upon germination [2,3]. Enzymes required for breakdown of starch, protein and lipid reserves are of utmost relevance. Their catalytic efficiency on available substrates often dictates the optimal timing, temperature and humidity conditions during malting for the upcoming beer production [4,5]
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