Cereal storage proteins are major nitrogen sources for humans and livestock. Prolamins are the most abundant storage protein in most cereals. They are deposited into protein bodies (PBs) in seed endosperm. The inner structure and the storage mechanism for prolamin PBs is poorly understood. Maize opaque10 (o10) is a classic opaque endosperm mutant with misshapen PBs. Through positional cloning, ...

This study investigates the prevalence of CG and CNG suppression in single- vs. multicopy DNA regions of the maize genome. The analysis includes the single- and multicopy seed storage proteins (zeins), the miniature inverted-repeat transposable elements (MITEs), and long terminal repeat (LTR) retrotransposons. Zein genes are clustered on specific chromosomal regions, whereas MITEs and LTRs are ...

Lysine is the most limiting essential amino acid for animal nutrition in maize grains. Expression of naturally lysine-rich protein genes can increase the lysine and protein contents in maize seeds. AtMAP18 from Arabidopsis thaliana encoding a microtubule-associated protein with high-lysine content was introduced into the maize genome with the seed-specific promoter F128. The protein and lysine ...

Kafirin, the sorghum prolamin protein, like its maize homologue zein, can be made into microparticles and films and potentially used as a biomaterial. Zein has good bio- and cyto-compatibility. Kafirin could be advantageous as it is more hydrophobic, more crosslinked, more slowly digested by mammalian proteases than zein and is non-allergenic. The safety and biocompatibility of kafirin implants...

The opaque-2 locus (o2) in maize regulates the expression of many members of the zein multigene family of storage proteins. cDNA clones for a wild-type allele of the (o2) locus (O2) were isolated from a maize endosperm cDNA library and sequenced. We found a 258-nucleotide 5' leader sequence containing three short open reading frames followed by a sequence specifying a protein of 437 amino acids...

By utilizing a homologous transient expression system, we have demonstrated that the Opaque-2 (O2) gene product O2 confers positive trans-regulation on a 22-kD zein promoter. This trans-acting function of the O2 protein is mediated by its sequence-specific binding to a cis element (the O2 target site) present in the 22-kD zein promoter. A multimer of a 32-bp promoter fragment containing this O2...

Eighty-five cDNA clones for gamma-zein (proline-rich zein) from a cDNA expression library were isolated using specific antibody and cDNA probes. Nucleotide sequences of seven independent clones were determined and found to be identical in regions where they overlapped. The primary structure of the mature protein, determined from the sequence of one near full-length clone, consists of 204 amino ...

Biohybrid materials based on the intercalation of zein, the major storage protein in corn, into sodium-exchanged montmorillonite were prepared following two synthesis strategies. The first one made use of zein dissolved in 80% (v/v) ethanol/water solution, the usual solvent for this protein, while the second method is new and uses a sequential process that implies the previous separation of zei...

Ipomoea turpethum R. Br. [= Operculina terpethum (Linn.) Silva Manso (Hindi—Nisoth, Pitohri), a perennial plant with a muchtwisted stem is found through out India. It is reported to be highly medicinal and is cultivated occasionally in gardens as an ornamental plant. Some hydroxy fatty acids, butulin, lupeol and sitosterol have been found in the plant. Seed gums are important vegetable products...

Abstract The present work demonstrates the new nanofiber mats prepared through co-electrospinning of two different polymers i.e. corn protein namely Zein and Nylon-6. composite membrane was used as an effective adsorbent material for removal toxic reactive dye Reactive Blue 19 (RB19) from water solution. These co-electrospun nanofibers had good mechanical strength compared to zein alone. Experi...