Charge-based characterisation of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits from common wheat by capillary isoelectric focusing

In this study, the capillary isoelectric focusing (CIEF) method for the separation and charge characterisation of the heterogeneity of high molecular-weight-glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) using linear polyacrylamide (LPA) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) coated capillaries was developed. Particularly good repeatability and well-resolved charge isoform profiles were obtained by introducing a mixture of carrier ampholytes (pH 3–10 and pH 5–8), a high concentration of urea (6 M) and SB3-12 as detergent in a sample solution during separation in a PVA-coated capillary. One major and one or two minor isoforms were observed for the individual HMW-GS. These isoforms were satisfactorily separated using a pH gradient into two groups: y-type isoforms and x-type isoforms encoded by the Glu-B1 locus with shorter migration times and remaining x-type isoforms with longer times. The method produced from eight to twelve isoforms of wheat HMW-GS with pI points in the range of 4.72–6.98. Generally, the minor isoforms were more acidic compared with the major isoform. The y-type subunits had an approximately neutral character (pI 6.70–6.98); however, x-types showed a weakly acidic character (pI 4.72–5.23), with the exception of subunits encoded by the Glu-B1 locus. The isoelectric point peak profiles were compared with capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) electropherograms. Generally, the number of detected isoforms for the particular HMW-GS detected using both methods were similar.