The structure of casein micelles has been studied by small-angle neutron scattering and static light scattering. Alterations in structure upon variation of pH and scattering contrast, as well as after addition of chymosin, were investigated. The experimental data were analyzed by a model in which the casein micelle consists of spherical submicelles. This model gave good agreement with the data and gave an average micellar radius of about 100-120 nm and a submicellar radius of about 7 nm both with a polydispersity of about 40-50%. The contrast variation indicated that the scattering length density of the submicelles was largest at the center of the submicelles. The submicelles were found to be closely packed, the volume fraction varying slightly with pH. Upon addition of chymosin the submicellar structure remained unchanged within the experimental accuracy.

Aggregation and gelation of whey proteins induced by a specific protease from Bacillus licheniformis was revealed by turbidimetry, size exclusion chromatography, dynamic light scattering and rheology. The microstructure of the gel was examined by transmission electron microscopy. During incubation of 12% whey protein isolate solutions at 40ЊC and pH 7, the major whey proteins were partly hydrolyzed and the solution gradually became turbid due to formation of aggregates of increasing size. The viscosity of the hydrolysate simultaneously increased and eventually a gel formed. The gel had a particulate type of microstructure. We hypothesized that the aggregates forming the gel were held together by noncovalent interactions.

The hydrolysis of isolated β-lactoglobulin (9 and 70−200 mg/mL) by a Bacillus licheniformis protease was followed to assess whether aggregates and gels, respectively, were formed during hydrolysis. Changes during hydrolysis were monitored by electrophoresis, dynamic light scattering, and fluorescence and circular dichroism spectroscopy. Gelation was monitored by dynamic oscillation rheology. Upon hydrolysis of a β-lactoglobulin preparation with the B. licheniformis protease aggregates were formed and a soft gel resulted from only 70 mg/mL of β-lactoglobulin. The aggregates consisted of a number of peptides with molecular weight ranging from 2000 to 6000 and pI from 5 to 8. As the aggregates were solubilized in either SDS or urea or at extreme pH values, it is proposed that noncovalent interactions, mainly electrostatic and hydrophobic, are major interacting forces. These kinds of aggregates are thought to be important in protease-induced gelation of whey protein isolate solutions. Keywords: β-Lactoglobulin; proteolysis; aggregation; fluorescence; circular dichroism

The purpose of the present study was to identify the peptides responsible for aggregate formation during hydrolysis of beta-lactoglobulin by BLP at neutral pH. Hydrolysates taken at various stages of aggregate formation were separated into a precipitate and a soluble phase and each was analyzed by CE and mass spectrometry. The aggregates consisted of six to seven major peptides of which four were tentatively identified. The peptides were positively charged at neutral pH and had a high charge-to-mass ratio at low pH. The fragment f135-158 seemed to be the initiator of aggregation, since it was present at high concentration in the aggregates at all stages, and the concentration of this peptide remained low in the supernatant. F135-158 contains several basic and acid amino acids alternating with hydrophobic amino acids, which is in accordance with formation of noncovalently linked aggregates, as previously shown.

Simultaneous measurement of viscosity and degree of proteolysis of κ-casein, α, in skim milk at three different concentrations of rennet and three different concentrations of casein showed that viscosity was a function of α until the former reached its minimum value. Then the relation between viscosity and α depended on the enzyme concentration. This is considered to be caused by casein micelles starting to aggregate at this point. The minimum in viscosity was found when α was between 0·6 and 0·7, indicating that casein micelles started aggregating at a lower degree of proteolysis than was believed earlier. The rate of gel firming was found to depend on the concentration of added rennet even after κ-casein was completely proteolysed. The results demonstrated that both proteolysis of κ-casein and aggregation of casein micelles must be taken into account when modelling the renneting reaction.