Glutenin structure

Lindsay, M.P., Skerritt, J.H. 1999. The glutenin macropolymer of wheat flour doughs Structure-function perspectives. Trends Food Sci Technol 10 247-253. 

Relative to secondary structure, viscosity, sedimentation velocity, ultraviolet difference spectra and optical rotatory dispersion studies (4,24,25) showed that glutenin appears to be an assymetric molecule with a low a-helix content (10-15%). Glutenin contained more a-helix structure in hydrochloric acid solutions and less in urea solutions. The amount of a-helix structure is also influenced by changes in ionic strength (26). 

Kasarda, D.D., King, G., and Kumonsinski, T.F. (1994). Comparison of p-spiral structures in wheat high molecular weight glutenin subunits and elastin by molecular modelling. In ... 

Figure 20.7. Structure of HMW glutenin subunit showing (a) branching (b) spiral structure by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM). (From Humphries et al. (2000), Cereal Chem. 77, 107-110.)...

During heating the surface layer of glutenin molecules in a gel structure is cross-linked by disulfide bridges, and the layer breaks up into rubber-like units a coagel. Tbe polar lipids take over at the interface during this process as indicated in Fig. 8.7. 

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