The　aim　of　this　study　was　to　investigate　the　characteristics　of　the　degradation　of　wheat　gluten　by　deamidation　using　carboxylic　acids　(succinic　acid).　The　changes　in　succinic　acid　deamidated　wheat　gluten　(SDWG),　during　hydrothermal　treatment,　were　characterized　using　physicochemical　indexes　such　as　the　deamidation　degree　(DD),　nitrogen　soluble　index　(NSI),　degree　of　hydrolysis　(DH),　thermal　characteristics,　molecular　weight　distribution　(MWD),　and　secondary　conformation　of　proteins.　The　results　indicated　that,　during　modification,　the　degradation　of　wheat　gluten　molecules　occurred　in　a　stepwise　manner.　During　the　first　10　mins,　the　DD　(from　24.65%　to　64.79%),　NSI　(from　11.55%　to　91.31%),　glass　transition　temperature　(from　50.70　to　61.80),　and　enthalpy　[from　1.73　to　2.35　J/(g·K)]　all　significantly　increased,　while　the　increase　of　DH　was　less　than　1%.　Additionally,　sodium　dodecyl　sulfate　polyacrylamide　gel　electrophoresis　(SDS-PAGE)　and　size　exclusion-high-performance　liquid　chromatography　(SE-HPLC)　showed　that　SDWG　had　a　tendency　to　degrade;　infrared　spectra　indicated　that　the　flexibility　of　SDWG　generally　decreased.　In　particular,　significant　changes　in　MWD　and　secondary　conformation　were　observed　at　6　min　after　the　reaction　started.　These　results　indicate　that　succinic　acid　has　a　high　specificity　for　the　deamidation　of　wheat　gluten　upon　hydrothermal　treatment　and　that　the　degradation　of　wheat　gluten　is　a　stepwise　process　with　different　stages.　©,　2015,　South　China　University　of　Technology.　All　right　reserved.