Malting Barley Grain Non-specific Lipid-Transfer Protein (ns-LTP): Importance for Grain Protection
Stanislava Gorjanovic1,5, Edzard Spillner2, Milos V. Beljanski1, Radmila Gorjanovic3, Mirjana Pavlovic1 and Gordana Gojgic-Cvijanovic4
1 Institute of General and Physical Chemistry, P. O. Box 551, 11001 Belgrade, SCG.
2 Department of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, University of Hamburg, Martin-Luther-King-Platz 6, D-20146 Hamburg, Germany.
3 Faculty of Agriculture, University of Belgrade, P. O. Box 127, 11081 Belgrade, SCG.
4 Faculty of Chemistry, University of Belgrade, P. O. Box 158, 11001 Belgrade, SCG.
5 Corresponding author. E-mail: stasago@yahoo.co.uk
J. Inst. Brew. 111(2), 99-104, 2005 | VIEW ARTICLE
ABSTRACT
A basic protein (pI < 9) was isolated to homogeneity from a domestic cultivar of malting barley grain (Hordeum vulgare). In its unreduced form it exists as a dimer of a 9 kDa protomer with four disulphide bridges. These characteristics together with protein sequence data revealed that the isolated protein belongs to the class of ns-LTP. The antifungal potency of malting barley grain ns-LTP was examined on Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Candida albicans and the plant pathogen Fusarium solani growth in vitro. It was found that ns-LTP inhibits Saccharomyces and Fusarium growth; the concentration required for 50% inhibition after 24 h of incubation (IC50) was 100 and 80 µg/mL, respectively. On the basis of these results, the importance of ns-LTP for barley grain protection from fungal diseases has been discussed.
Key words:
Antifungal activity, barley grain, Fusarium solani, growth inhibition, lipid-transfer protein, pathogenesis-related protein.
Publication no. G-2005-0718-304 ©2005 The Institute & Guild of Brewing