Analysis of phaseolin and total storage protein-based diversity in common bean landraces of Nilgiri using SDS-PAGE

Seed storage protein variation was studied in 20 common bean landraces (LR_s) collected from different traditional farming villages of Nilgiris district of Tamilnadu, India, with Sodium Dodecyl Sulphate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Evaluation of common bean germplasm with seed storage proteins is essential for conservation, breeding and to determine the possible origin of common beans. The electrophoretogram revealed major seed proteins such as phaseolin (PHS), Phytohemagglutinin (PHA), α-amylase inhibitors (αAIs) and Arcelin (ARL). The purified PHS fraction has three and two subunits, respectively in the Andean and Mesoamerican landraces. A dendrogram was constructed based on Jaccard's coefficients of protein markers using the average distance method, which has separated the accessions into two major clusters, eight Mesoamerican and twelve Andean. This result proved that Nilgiris’ common bean population is highly diverse and there is immense scope for further improvement. A better knowledge of seed storage protein variation of common beans will help in genetic improvement and conservation programme for its landraces in Nilgiris.