Glutenine

Glutenine is a term occasionally used to describe glutenin, one of the main protein components of gluten in wheat and related cereals. In modern scientific usage, glutenin is the preferred name, and glutenine appears primarily in older literature or as a nonstandard spelling.

Glutenins are storage proteins with high-molecular-weight and low-molecular-weight subunits that form large polymeric networks. They are rich in glutamine and proline and are relatively insoluble in water; they become covalently cross-linked through disulfide bonds during dough formation.

In bread-making, glutenin interacts with gliadin to produce viscoelastic gluten. The proportion and composition of glutenin subunits influence dough strength, elasticity, gas retention, and crumb structure. High-molecular-weight glutenins contribute to dough strength, while low-molecular-weight subunits influence extensibility and softness of the crumb.

Genetics and variation in glutenin content are important for flour quality. In wheat, several gene families encoding glutenin subunits (such as Glu-1 and Glu-2) show allelic variation that can affect baking performance. Breeding programs analyze glutenin profiles to optimize loaf volume, texture, and tolerance to processing conditions.

Industrial and health considerations accompany the study of glutenin. The glutenin content is a key parameter in flour quality grading and baking performance. In health contexts, glutenin, together with gliadin, contains epitopes that can trigger immune responses in individuals with celiac disease or gluten-related disorders; the overall immunogenicity depends on multiple cereal prolamins and individual genetics.

See also: Gluten, Gliadin, Glutenin.