Identification of Early Represented Gluten Proteins during Durum Wheat Grain Development

The time course of biosynthesis and accumulation of storage proteins in developing grains of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum (Desf.) Husn.) pasta-quality reference cv. Svevo was investigated at the protein level for the first time. Seeds were harvested at key kernel developmental stages, namely, 3 (seed increase 3-fold in size), 5 (kernel development, water-ripe stage), 11 (kernel development, water-ripe stage), 16 (kernel full development, water-ripe stage), 21 (milk-ripe stage), and 30 (dough stage) days postanthesis (dpa). Gliadins and glutenins were fractionated according to their different solubility and individually analyzed after fractionation by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography and sodium dodecyl sulfate–polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Proteins were identified by liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry of proteolytic peptides. The α- and γ-gliadin were already detected at 3 dpa. The biosynthesis of high molecular mass glutenin Bx7 was slightly delayed (11 ...