Award details

Exploring and improving the functional properties of wheat gluten using protein engineering and transgenic wheat plants

Reference	BBS/E/C/00823293
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Professor Peter Shewry
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Rothamsted Research
Department	Rothamsted Research Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	220,000
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/04/1997
End date	31/03/1999
Duration	24 months

Abstract

Wheat gluten is largely responsible for the functional properties of wheat doughs that allow the production of leavened bread, other baked products, pasta and noodles, and various other uses in the food (e.g. coatings, batters) and pet food industries. These properties depend on the gluten forming a visco- elastic network, with a precise balance of elasticity and viscous flow (extensibilty) being required for different end uses. We are using protein engineering to explore their properties, by expressing a range of unmodified and mutant forms of proteins and determining their biophysical and functional properties, including the use of reconstituted dough systems. Additional and modified gluten protein genes are also being expressed in transgenic wheat seeds to determine the effect on grain composition and functionality. Objectives 1996 Construct and characterise model cross-linked polymers, based on HMW glutenin subunits. Characterise transgenic tritordeum and wheat lines expressing additional HMW subunits. Evaluate functional properties of expressed proteins and transgenic plants using 2 g mixograph. 1997 Express perfect repeat peptides in E. coli for biophysical studies. Determine processing properties of transgenic wheat lines grown in field trials at Long Ashton and Rothamsted during Summer 1997.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Closed Committee - Agri-food (AF)
Research Topics	X – not assigned to a current Research Topic
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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