Variations in Total Protein and Amino Acids in the Sequenced Sorghum Mutant Library

Abstract

Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) is the fifth most important cereal crop worldwide; however, its utilization in food products can be limited due to reduced nutritional quality related to amino acid composition and protein digestibility in cooked products. Low essential amino acid levels and digestibility are influenced by the composition of the sorghum seed storage proteins, kafirins. In this study, we report a core collection of 206 sorghum mutant lines with altered seed storage proteins. Wet lab chemistry analysis was conducted to evaluate the total protein content and 23 amino acids, including 19 protein-bound and 4 non-protein amino acids. We identified mutant lines with diverse compositions of essential and non-essential amino acids. The highest total protein content in these lines was almost double that of the wild-type (BTx623). The mutants identified in this study can be used as a genetic resource to improve the sorghum grain quality and determine the molecular mechanisms underlying the biosynthesis of storage protein and starch in sorghum seeds.

Revealing Consequences of the Husking Process on Nutritional Profiles of Two Sorghum Races on the Male Sterility Line

“…The accuracy and precision of the findings showed that Kafirin races have an abundant protein content (Table 2), ranging from 13 to 18%. These results aligned with previous reports [37,40], in which the authors reported that the highest total protein content was almost double in the Kafirin mutant line.…”

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Potential, and Nutritional Evaluation of Cultivated Sorghum Grains: A Combined Experimental, Theoretical, and Multivariate Analysis

“…Although sorghum is an important source of nutrients, it contains the hard to digest protein kafirin and a low content of the essential amino acid lysine [ 16 ]. Proteins and mineral nutrients are known to have a close relationship in biological systems [ 17 ].…”

Mutagenesis in the Age of Next-Generation-Sequencing and Genome Editing

“…This Special Issue has a collection of eight research articles, ranging from crop improvement through induced mutagenesis to creating mutations of multi-copy genes through CRISPR/Cas9-mediated gene knockout. Khan et al analyzed 206 mutant pools for seed protein content and amino acid composition using wet chemistry and demonstrated that the mutant library can be an important resource to improve seed protein content and essential amino acids [11]. Wang et al screened the entire USDA sesame collection for high oleic acid lines, which causes sesame to be more healthy and remain stable during storage [12].…”