Cereal Chem 68:573-577   |  VIEW ARTICLE

Immunocytochemical Localization of the Wheat Storage Protein Triticin in Developing Endosperm Tissue.

D. B. Bechtel, J. D. Wilson, and P. R. Shewry. Copyright 1991 by the American Association of Cereal Chemists, Inc. 

A variety of antisera raised against cereal storage proteins were used in an immunocytochemical study of wheat endosperm protein bodies. Antisera raised against alpha-gliadin, gamma-gliadin, a high molecular weight glutenin subunit, barley C-hordein, and oat 12S globulin labeled the matrix of the wheat endosperm protein bodies but failed to label the electron-dense inclusions within protein bodies. The type of plastic resin used to embed the samples had little effect on the amount and location of the gold label. Immunocytochemistry using antibodies made against triticin, a storage protein with leguminlike characteristics, labeled both the matrix and the dense inclusions. These inclusions contained several times more label than matrix protein. The embedding media greatly affected the amount of labeling obtained when using antitriticin; a low-viscosity epoxy resin gave less labeling than did an acrylic-based plastic. We conclude from this study that triticin is located primarily in the dense inclusions of protein bodies.