Proteomics of Wheat Endosperm:a Tool to Find Genes Involved in Kernel Composition and Quality

The composition of the wheat kernel is the result of the expression of thousands of genes translated in enzymes involved in all the biochemical pathways that are needed for endosperm cell functions and also for the ac-

The composition of the wheat kernel is the result of the expression of thousands of genes translated in enzymes involved in all the biochemical pathways that are needed for endosperm cell functions and also for the accumulation of storage proteins and starch. Due to progress in 2-dimensional electrophoresis （2DE） and to mass spectrometry, the proteomics approach is now a tool that enables biochemists and geneticists to investigate the diversity and functions of thousands of proteins simultaneously expressed in different cell organites and kernel compartments （Skylas et al., 2000; Finnie and Svensson, 2003; Dumur et al., 2004）. In this work, we report on some experiments carried out at INRA, Clermont Ferrand, France, on developing and mature wheat kernels to illustrate the benefits of the proteomics tool.