Reveal Protein Molecular Structural-Chemical Differrences Between Two Types of Winterfat (Forage) Seeds with Physiological Differences in Low Temperature Tolerance Using Synchrotron-Based Fourier Transform Infrared Microspectroscopy
Winterfat (Krascheninnikovia lanata) (forage seed) is a long-lived native shrub with superior forage quality for livestock and wildlife. The objectives of this study were to use advanced synchrotron technology [S-Fourier transform infrared microspectroscopy (FTIR)] as a novel approach to reveal protein molecular structural-chemical differences in terms of protein secondary structures between the two types of winterfat (forage) seeds, which show physiological differences in low-temperature tolerances. This experiment was performed at beamline U10B at the National Synchrotron Light Source NSLS in Brookhaven National Laboratory BNL, U.S. Department of Energy (NSLS-BNL, New York). The results showed that with the synchrotron analytical technique (S-FTIR), the molecular structural-chemical makeup and characteristics of the winterfat seed tissues could be imaged and revealed. The protein secondary structures differed between the large and the small seed tissues. By using the multicomponent peaks modeling method, the results show that the large seeds contained no significant differences (P > 0.05) in percentage of {beta}-sheet (average 37.0%) and {alpha}-helix (average 24.1%). However, the large seeds contained a lower (P < 0.05) percentage of {beta}-turns (18.1 vs. 20.1%) and a lower (P < 0.05) ratio of {beta}-turns to {alpha}-helices (0.8 vs. 0.9) and {beta}-turns to {beta}-sheets (0.5 vs. 0.6). Our results demonstrate the potential of highly spatially resolved synchrotron-based FTIR microspectroscopy to reveal differences of structural molecular chemistry and protein secondary structures, which are associated with seed size variation and may affect germination behaviors.
- Research Organization:
- Brookhaven National Lab. (BNL), Upton, NY (United States). National Synchrotron Light Source
- Sponsoring Organization:
- Doe - Office Of Science
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-98CH10886
- OSTI ID:
- 913683
- Report Number(s):
- BNL-78251-2007-JA; JAFCAU; TRN: US0801369
- Journal Information:
- J. Agr. Food Chem., Vol. 53; ISSN 0021-8561
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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