ULTRACENTRIFUGE AND DIFFUSION STUDIES ON GLUTEN

Abstract

The molecular characteristics of gluten in sodium salicylate solutions were studied by means of sedimentation velocity, sedimentation equilibrium, and diffusion measurements. The proportion of total gluten protein molecularly dispersed increased with increase in concentration of sodium salicylate up to 12%, but the dispersed portions had essentially the same sedimentation constant (2.5 ± 0.15) regardless of the concentration of the dispersing medium.The most soluble 25 per cent of the gluten was all molecularly dispersed, but was definitely inhomogeneous. The weight-average molecular weight of this fraction was 44,000, but there is reason to believe the minimum weight may be about 35,000. None of the other fractions was entirely molecularly dispersed, the proportion decreasing with decreasing solubility of the fractions. Aggregates of many sizes existed in all of these fractions, but only the most insoluble contained aggregates large enough to cause opacity. Sedimentation constants of the molecularly dispersed portions increased slightly with decreasing solubility, while diffusion constants decreased markedly. None of the fractions yielded normal curves (diffusion diagrams) but the more soluble the fraction, the more nearly normal the curve. The inhomogeneity responsible for the varying rates of diffusion was due partly to differences in proportion and properties of the molecularly dispersed gluten and partly to aggregates.All properties showed progressive changes both within and between the arbitrarily produced fractions. These results, therefore, support the hypothesis that gluten is a protein system showing progressive and regular changes in properties with change in solubility.