Physicochemical Studies of Conglutin γ, a Storage Globulin From Seeds of Lupinus angustifolius

Abstract

Physicochemical studies are reported for conglutin �, the minor globulin isolated from seeds of L. angustifolius cv. Uniwhite. Isoelectric focusing of the native protein in polyacrylamide gel slabs resolved major and minor broad bands near pH 8.0 and 7.8 respectively. Following reduction of disulfide bonds with β-mercaptoethanol in 8 M urea, the smaller polypeptide chain of known sequence focused near pH 6.9 while the larger chain focused near pH 8.0. Sedimentation equilibrium studies showed that the major component in aqueous buffers at neutral pH is a hexamer of molecular weight 280 000 which dissociates to the monomer of molecular weight 47 000 at pH 4.8. The sequence molecular weight of the small subunit polypeptide is 16 517 [Elleman, T.C. (1977). Aust. J. Biol. Sci. 30, 33-45]. The molecular weights determined for the larger chain by sedimentation equilibrium or column chromatography in 6 M guanidine hydrochloride, and by dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, were in the range 28 000-30 000. Optical rotatory dispersion and circular dichroism measurements have been used to establish the approximate proportions of α-helix (15%), β-structure (35%), β-turns (18%) and unordered regions (32%) in the native protein. The denaturation curve for guanidine hydrochloride and the proportions of α-helix (50%), β-turns (18%) and unordered regions (32%) in 80 % trifluoroethanol have been determined.