VIEW ARTICLE    DOI: 10.1094/ASBCJ-53-0019

Sequential Method for the Electrophoretic Analysis of Barley Varieties, Including Computer Storage and Matching of Banding Patterns. Jeffrey Black and Linda Durig, Isolab Inc., Drawer 4350, Akron, OH. J. Am. Soc. Brew. Chem. 53(l):19-23, 1995. Accepted July 25, 1994.

A new approach to identify barley varieties by isoelectric focusing of three separate protein fractions is presented. Thin-layer agarose isoelectric focusing gels are used to separate hordeins, albumins/globulins, and peroxidase isoenzymes. The technique is suitable for fingerprinting or purity testing. A digital image of the gel is captured by a flatbed scanner. A computer program stores the barley banding patterns in a library, defined by isoelectric point values determined from reference tracks. The library function allows three databases to be constructed for each variety. Each unknown pattern may be sequentially compared to the stored patterns from all three methods to enable a match. Twenty-one varieties were examined and could be uniquely identified with the sequential analysis approach. Keywords: Digital imaging, Isoelectric focusing, Sequential analysis