A Wheat Xylanase Inhibitor Protein (XIP-I) Accumulates in the Grain and has Homologues in Other Cereals

We have measured xylanase inhibitor activity against an Aspergillus niger xylanase in different parts of the wheat plant at different stages of development and used immunodetection to determine the spatial and temporal distribution of xylanase inhibitor protein I (XIP-I) in Triticum aestivum var. Soisson. Although xylanase inhibitor activity was detected in all parts of the wheat plant throughout development, XIP-I was located predominantly in the grain tissue, where it appears at a late stage in grain development and persists after germination, indicating that the different xylanase inhibitor proteins are under different regulatory controls. (1,4)-β-Xylanase activity was detected in wheat grains during development and post-germination. Pure XIP-I and a crude sample containing TAXI inhibitors but not XIP-I did not have the ability to inhibit this endogenous (1,4)-β-xylanase activity. Protein extracts from the seeds of various monocots were also tested for the presence of XIP-I, where it was found to be present in the grains of several wheat varieties, rye and barley, but was not detected in rice, sorghum or maize.