Molecular modeling of various peptide sequences of gliadins and low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits

The contribution of the three-dimensional structures of one heptapeptide (PQPQPFP) sequence and one pentapeptide (PQQPY) repeat sequence of alpha/beta-gliadins, one heptapeptide (PQQPFPQ) repeat sequence of gamma-gliadins, two heptapeptide (PQQPPFS and QQQQPVL) repeat motifs of low-molecular-weight (LMW) subunits and a tetrapeptide sequence in polyQ region of S-rich prolamins to their conformations are investigated by using the recently developed multicanonical simulation procedure. Ramachandran plots were prepared and analysed to predict the relative occurrence probabilities of beta-turn, gamma-turn, and helical structures. The probability of inverse gamma-turn was generally higher than that of beta-turns in all sequences investigated. Occurrence probability of helical structure in the repetitive domain of gliadins was low. Structural predictions of QQQQPVL sequence of LMW glutenin subunits and QQQQ sequence in the polyQ region of S-rich prolamins indicate the presence of helical structures with the probability of >20%. The probability of helical structure significantly decreased around 100 degreesC.