Defective endosperm* (De*)-B30 is a dominant maize (Zea mays) mutation that depresses zein synthesis in the developing endosperm. The mutant kernels have an opaque, starchy phenotype, malformed zein protein bodies, and highly increased levels of binding protein and other chaperone proteins in the endosperm. Immunoblotting revealed a novel alpha-zein protein in De*-B30 that migrates between the ...

Introduction Zein, a major protein of corn, is conspicuous for its ability to form films. It is relatively hydrophobic, soluble in alcohol-water mixtures (40% 85%) but insoluble in pure water or alcohols. Current structural models of the zein molecule (Argos et al 1982, Matsushima et al 1997) consider zein is formed by nine to ten tandem repeats of α-helical segments aligned in anti-parallel fa...

BACKGROUND One of the goals of plant breeding is to create crops to provide better nutrition for humans and livestock. Insufficient intake of protein is one of the most severe factors affecting the growth and development of children in developing countries. More than a century ago, in 1896, Hopkins initiated the well-known Illinois long-term selection for maize seed protein concentration, yield...

Background The use of biopolymers is increasing in drug delivery, thanks to the peculiar properties of these compounds such as their biodegradability, availability, and the possibility of modulating their physico-chemical characteristics. In particular, protein-based systems such as albumin are able to interact with many active compounds, modulating their biopharmaceutical properties. Zein is a...

Zein, the prolamine fraction of maize, is localized in the endosperm in membrane-bound structures called protein bodies, which have polyribosomes on their surfaces. These polysomes or the mRNA fraction isolated from them will direct the synthesis of zein-like proteins in vitro. The in vitro products consist primarily of two molecular weight classes but show considerable charge heterogeneity whe...

The maize (Zea mays) floury1 (fl1) mutant was first reported almost 100 years ago, but its molecular identity has remained unknown. We report the cloning of Fl1, which encodes a novel zein protein body membrane protein with three predicted transmembrane domains and a C-terminal plant-specific domain of unknown function (DUF593). In wild-type endosperm, the FL1 protein accumulates at a high leve...

Zein is a prolamine of maize. Conventionally, 70–90% aqueous ethanol is used to dissolve zein. When the hydrodynamic radii of zein molecules in aqueous ethanol were monitored with a dynamic light scattering instrument, it was found that zein aggregates in the solvent and the degree of aggregation depends on the composition of the solvent mixture. As the ethanol content of solvent increased from...

The interaction of 12 substituted phenol, three aminophenol and four substituted aniline derivatives with the corn protein zein was studied on zein-coated silica and alumina stationary phases by high-performance liquid chromatography using bidistilled water as mobile phase. Solutes were eluted from the zein-coated supports with different retention times indicating that they bind to the protein ...

The high cost of kafirin and zein restricts their use for bioplastic and food applications. Effective, simple and rapid kafirin/zein isolation processes are required. Here a percolationtype aqueous ethanol solvent extraction process from coarse meals (grits) and coarse sorghum DDGS for kafirin and zein isolation employing a low ratio of extractant to meal (2.5:1) was investigated, which is pote...

Quality Protein Maize (QPM) is a hard kernel variant of the high-lysine mutant, opaque2. Using γ-irradiation, we created opaque QPM variants to identify opaque-2 modifier genes and to investigate deletion mutagenesis combined with Illumina sequencing as a maize functional genomics tool. A K0326Y-QPM deletion mutant (line 107) was null for the 27and 50-kD γ-zeins and abolished vitreous endosperm...