RESUMO
Cacao (Theobroma cacao L.), the source of cocoa, is an economically important tropical crop. One problem with the premium cacao market is contamination with off-types adulterating raw premium material. Accurate determination of the genetic identity of single cacao beans is essential for ensuring cocoa authentication. Using nanofluidic single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) genotyping with 48 SNP markers, we generated SNP fingerprints for small quantities of DNA extracted from the seed coat of single cacao beans. On the basis of the SNP profiles, we identified an assumed adulterant variety, which was unambiguously distinguished from the authentic beans by multilocus matching. Assignment tests based on both Bayesian clustering analysis and allele frequency clearly separated all 30 authentic samples from the non-authentic samples. Distance-based principle coordinate analysis further supported these results. The nanofluidic SNP protocol, together with forensic statistical tools, is sufficiently robust to establish authentication and to verify gourmet cacao varieties. This method shows significant potential for practical application.
Assuntos
Cacau/classificação , Cacau/genética , Contaminação de Alimentos/análise , Genótipo , Sementes/classificação , Sementes/genética , Impressões Digitais de DNA , DNA de Plantas/análise , Frequência do Gene/genética , Nanotecnologia , Peru , Polimorfismo de Nucleotídeo Único/genéticaRESUMO
Two high lysine maize endosperm mutations, opaque-5 (o5) and opaque-7 (o7), were biochemically characterized for endosperm protein synthesis and lysine metabolism in immature seeds. Albumins, globulins, and glutelins, which have a high content of lysine, were shown to be increased in the mutants, whereas zeins, which contain trace concentrations of lysine, were reduced in relation to the wild-type lines B77xB79+ and B37+. These alterations in the storage protein fraction distribution possibly explain the increased concentration of lysine in the two mutants. Using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of proteins of mature grains, variable amounts of zein polypeptides were detected and considerable differences were noted between the four lines studied. The analysis of the enzymes involved in lysine metabolism indicated that both mutants have reduced lysine catabolism when compared to their respective wild types, thus allowing more lysine to be available for storage protein synthesis.
Assuntos
Lisina/metabolismo , Mutação , Proteínas de Plantas/genética , Zea mays/genética , Eletroforese em Gel Bidimensional , Genótipo , Proteínas de Plantas/análise , Proteínas de Plantas/biossíntese , Sementes/metabolismo , Zea mays/metabolismo , Zeína/análise , Zeína/genéticaRESUMO
A home-made system hyphenating capillary electrophoresis with an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer (CE-ICP-MS) for cadmium speciation of protein-binding and free cadmium ions in solution is presented. The CE-ICP-MS interface consisted of an acrylic block with an internal volume ca. 20 microL in which a platinum electrode, a capillary column, and a connection to an ICP nebulizer were inserted. A make-up electrolyte solution containing 50 mmol L(-1) Tris-HCl buffer solution (pH 9.0) was continuously flowed through the interface to the ICP nebulizer. The separation of free Cd ions, Cd-cysteine, and Cd bounded to metallothionein (MT) isoforms from rabbit liver was carried out by capillary electrophoresis, and the analytes were detected by ICP-MS. The feasibility to isolate metallothionein compounds extracted from the cyanobacterium Synechococcus PCC7942 was demonstrated. The Cd binding proteins were induced in Synechococcus PCC7942 and further analyzed by CE ICP-MS.
Assuntos
Cianobactérias/química , Eletroforese Capilar/métodos , Espectrometria de Massas/métodos , Metalotioneína/isolamento & purificação , Animais , Cádmio/análise , Cádmio/química , Cádmio/metabolismo , Eletroforese Capilar/instrumentação , Desenho de Equipamento , Fígado/química , Espectrometria de Massas/instrumentação , Metalotioneína/metabolismo , Ligação Proteica , CoelhosRESUMO
The capacity of two maize opaque endosperm mutants (o1 and o2) and two floury (fl1 and fl2) to accumulate lysine in the seed in relation to their wild type counterparts Oh43+ was examined. The highest total lysine content was 3.78% in the o2 mutant and the lowest 1.87% in fl1, as compared with the wild type (1.49%). For soluble lysine, o2 exhibited over a 700% increase, whilst for fl3 a 28% decrease was encountered, as compared with the wild type. In order to understand the mechanisms causing these large variations in both total and soluble lysine content, a quantitative and qualitative study of the N constituents of the endosperm has been carried out and data obtained for the total protein, nonprotein N, soluble amino acids, albumins/globulins, zeins and glutelins present in the seed of the mutants. Following two-dimensional PAGE separation, a total of 35 different forms of zein polypeptides were detected and considerable differences were noted between the five different lines. In addition, two enzymes of the aspartate biosynthetic pathway, aspartate kinase and homoserine dehydrogenase were analyzed with respect to feedback inhibition by lysine and threonine. The activities of the enzymes lysine 2-oxoglutate reductase and saccharopine dehydrogenase, both involved in lysine degradation in the maize endosperm were also determined and shown to be reduced several fold with the introduction of the o2, fl1 and fl2 mutations in the Oh43+ inbred line, whereas wild-type activity levels were verified in the Oh43o1 mutant.