Thaumatococcus daniellii Thaumatin

Thaumatin. Thaumatin [53850-34-3] is a mixture of proteins extracted from the fmit of a West African plant, Thaumatococcus daniellii (Beimett) Benth. Work at Unilever showed that the aqueous extract contains two principal proteins thaumatin I and thaumatin II. Thaumatin I, mol wt 22,209, contains 207 amino acids in a single chain that is cross-linked with eight disulfide bridges. Thaumatin II has the same number of amino acids, but there are five sequence differences. Production of thaumatins via genetic engineering technology has been reported (99). 

Additional evidence that the exterior surface of the taste receptor cell plasma membrane is the location of the sweet receptor is provided by the action of the chemostimulatory proteins, monellin and thaumatin. Monellin occurs in the fruit of the African serendipity berry (Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii), and thaumatin is found in the fruit of Thaumatococcus daniellii, also... 

Thaumatin Thaumatococcus daniellii (Bennett) Benth. (Marantaceae) 1,600 39... 

Thaumatin is a naturally occurring intense sweetener isolated from the fruit of the African plant Thaumatococcus daniellii (Benth). Commercially, thaumatin is produced by aqueous extraction under reduced pH conditions followed by other physical processes such as reverse osmosis. 

The fruit of Thaumatococcus daniellii contains two sweet proteins thaumatin I and II, with /sac,g 2000. There are also low amounts of three other sweet proteins (thaumatin a, b and c). The complete amino acid sequence and the conformation (Fig. 8.7 and 8.8) of thaumatin I, a peptide chain with 207 amino acid residues, has been established (Table 8.5). As a result of cross reactions with an anti-serum against monellin (cf. 8.8.4), sequence Y(57)FD in a j3-tum is regarded as the site of contact with the sweetness receptor. It corresponds to sequence Y(A13)ASD of monellin. 

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