The influence of Fusarium infection and growing location on the quantitative protein composition of (part I) emmer (Triticum dicoccum)

The effect of the fungal infection Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium culmorum on naked barley cultivars (n = 7) with respect to the barley’s total protein content and the content of the protein fractions albumins + globulins, prolamins (hordeins) and glutelins (hordenins) was investigated. A summer barley cultivar (n = 1) was used for comparison. The total protein content of the whole grain flours was very variable, ranging from 125 to 225 g kg⁻¹. The influence of Fusarium infection showed that the content of hordeins and hordenins was slightly reduced, while the albumins and globulins were not affected. In addition, the effect of the two different growing locations on the protein content of the naked barley was also evaluated. It could be shown that the C-hordeins, γ-hordeins and D-hordenins were significantly positively affected by increasing nitrogen supply, whereas the B-hordenin content was significantly negatively influenced. Nitrogen availability seems to be a factor that promotes gene expression for hordeins but reduces the synthesis of the main B-hordenins.