Table 1.

Summary of the types and characteristics of wheat gluten proteins [based on Shewry and Halford (14)].

Gluten protein type	Molecular mass	% total gluten fraction	Polymers or monomers?	Partial amino acid composition (mol %)
HMW prolamins
HMW subunits	65–90,000	6–10	Polymers	30–35% glutamine, 10–16% proline, 15–20% glycine, 0.5–1.5% cysteine, 0.7–1.4% lysine
S-rich prolamins
α-gliadins	30–45,000	70–80	Monomers	30–40% glutamine, 15–20% proline, 2–3% cysteine, <1% lysine
γ-gliadins
B-type and C-type LMW subunits			Polymers
S-poor prolamins
ω-gliadins	30–75,000	10–20	Monomers	40–50% glutamine, 20–30% proline, 0–0.5% phenyl alanine, 0–0.5% lysine, 0 cysteine, 1 cysteine residue in D-type LMW subunits
D-type LMW subunits			Polymers