CHARACTERIZATION OF 30-KDA FRAGMENTS DERIVED FROM BETA-CONGLYCININ DEGRADATION PROCESS DURING GERMINATION AND SEEDLING GROWTH OF SOYBEAN

The degradation process of beta-conglycinin, a vicilin-type glycosylat ed storage protein of soybean seeds, during germination and seedling g rowth was examined by concanavalin A blotting combined with polyacryla mide gel electrophoresis, We detected and analyzed the structures of k ey intermediary fragments of 30 kDa derived from beta-conglycinin degr adation, they were proved to be single-domain type subunits of beta-co nglycinin. We show here a degradation process of beta-conglycinin: bet a-conglycinin is subjected to limited proteolysis at exposed regions o n the molecular surface, like domain junctions, generating 30-kDa sing le-domain fragments before non-specific proteolysis.