Characterization of 30-kDa Fragments Derived from β-Conglycinin Degradation Process during Germination and Seedling Growth of Soybean

Abstract

The degradation process of β-conglycinin, a vicilin-type glycosylated storage protein of soybean seeds, during germination and seedling growth was examined by concanavalin A blotting combined with polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. We detected and analyied the structures of key intermediary fragments of 30 kDa derived from β-conglycinin degradation, they were proved to be single-domain type subunits of β-conglycinin. We show here a degradation process of β-conglycinin: β-conglycinin is subjected to limited proteolysis at exposed regions on the molecular surface, like domain junctions, generating 30-kDa singledomain fragments before non-specific proteolysis.