title: Identification of free fatty acids in maize protein bodies and purified alpha zeins by (13)C and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance.
abstract: Zeins, the maize storage proteins, are the most abundant proteins in the corn endosperm, and are synthesized on the rough endoplasmatic reticulum and deposited in discrete organelles called protein bodies. Several authors, using circular dichroism and optical rotatory dispersion, have concluded that these proteins have a high alpha-helical content in alcoholic solution. In this work we have studied these proteins, within the protein bodies themselves and after extraction from the corn grains with 70% ethanol, using NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance) spectroscopy. We conclusively demonstrate the presence of free fatty acids within both the protein bodies and also in the alcohol extracted alpha zeins. We present evidence for a direct interaction between the free fatty acids and the alpha zein proteins within the protein body and suggest possible mechanisms by which such an association has arisen during the evolution of the maize endosperm.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Quimica de São Carlos, Universidade São Paulo, São Carlos, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Forato
authors.forename: L A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Colnago
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Garratt
authors.forename: M A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lopes
mesh_terms: D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000737:chemistry; D002849:Chromatography, Gas; D004591:Electrophoresis, Polyacrylamide Gel; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified / Q000032:analysis* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins / Q000737:chemistry*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry*; D015028:Zein / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D002352:Carrier Proteins; D050556:Fatty Acid-Binding Proteins; D005230:Fatty Acids, Nonesterified; D009363:Neoplasm Proteins; D010940:Plant Proteins; D015028:Zein