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The complete amino acid sequence
of an α-type gliadin from spelt wheat (spelta) has benn
deduced from the cloned DNA sequence and compared with α-type
gliadin sequences from bread wheat. The comparison showed only
minor differences in amino acid sequences between the α-type
gliadin from bread wheat and the α-type gliadin from
spelta.
The two sequences had an identity of 98.5%. Larger differences
can be found between α-type gliadin amino acid sequences from
common bread wheat. Because all the different classes of
gliadins, α, β, γ, and ω, appear to be active in
coeliac
disease, it is reasonably certain that the spelta gliadin is
also toxic. We conclude that spelta is not a safe grain for
people with coeliac disease, contrary to the implications in
labeling a bread made from spelta as "an alternative to
wheat". Our conclusions are in accord with spelta and bread
wheat being classed taxonomically as subspecies of the same
genus and species, Triticum aestivum I.
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