Combined mutations in five wheat STARCH BRANCHING ENZYME II genes improve resistant starch but affect grain yield and bread-making quality

Increases in the proportion of amylose in the starch of wheat grains result in higher levels of resistant starch, a fermentable dietary fiber associated with human health benefits. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of combined mutations in five STARCH BRANCHING ENZYME II (SBEII) genes on starch composition, grain yield and bread-making quality in two hexaploid wheat varieties. Significantly higher amylose (∼60%) and resistant starch content (10-fold) was detected in the SBEII mutants than in the wild-type controls. Mutant lines showed a significant decrease in total starch (6%), kernel weight (3%) and total grain yield (6%). Effects of the mutations in bread-making quality included increases in grain hardness, starch damage, water absorption and flour protein content; and reductions in flour extraction, farinograph development and stability times, starch viscosity, and loaf volume. Several traits showed significant interactions between genotypes, varieties, and environments, suggesting that some of the negative impacts of the combined SBEII mutations can be ameliorated by adequate selection of genetic background and growing location. The deployment of wheat varieties with increased resistant starch will likely require economic incentives to compensate growers and millers for the significant reductions detected in grain and flour yields.     

Responses of glutamine synthetase activity and gene expression to nitrogen levels in winter wheat cultivars with different grain protein content

Glutamine synthetase (GS) plays a central role in plant nitrogen (N) metabolism, which improves crops grain protein content. A pot experiment in field condition was carried out to evaluate GS expression and activity, and grain protein content in high (Wanmai16) and low grain protein (Loumai24) wheat cultivars under two N levels (0.05 and 0.15 g N kg⁻¹ soil). High nitrogen (HN) resulted in significant increases in GS1 and GS2 expression at 10 days after anthesis (DAA), and higher GS activity during the entire grain filling stage. HN also significantly increased yield, grain protein content and protein fraction (except for glutenin of Luomai24) in two wheat cultivars, which indicated that it increased grain yield and protein content by improving nitrogen metabolism. Wanmai16 showed higher grain protein content, gliadin and glutenin content, and had higher expression level of GS2 both in flag leaves and grains at early grain filling stage. However, Luomai24 had greater yield and higher expression level of GS1. The difference expression of GS2 and GS1 genes indicates they had various contributions to the accumulation of protein and starch in wheat grains, respectively. The results suggest that GS2 would be serving as a potential breeding target for improving wheat quality.     

Influence of the cultivar,environment and management on the grain yield and bread-making quality in winter wheat

The genotype, environment and their interaction play an important role in the grain yielding and grain quality attributes. The main aim of this study was to determine the contributions of the genotype, environment and their interaction to the variation in bread-making traits. The data that were used for the analyses performed in this study were obtained from 3 locations in Poland from post-registration multi-environment trials with winter wheat in 2009 and 2010. The experimental factors were the cultivar (7 cultivars) and the crop management level (low input and high input). In the multi-environment trials, 17 traits were investigated that characterize grain, flour and dough quality. Most of the traits were affected much more strongly by environmental factors (i.e., year and location) than by genotype. The variance components revealed an especially strong effect of the year on the baking score, loaf volume and water absorption, as well a strong effect of the location on dough development and protein content. The obtained results demonstrate that the grain quality as measured by the parameters based on the protein content and quality may be substantially improved by crop management practices, especially by N fertilization level.     

Effects of drought on the morphological and physicochemical characteristics of starch granules in different elite wheat varieties

In this study, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed the formation of pits and pores on the surfaces of starch granules in response to drought stress, with substantially more pronounced effects in the ordinary yield potential wheat cv. Xindong 23 than the excellent yield potential wheat cv. Xindong 20. Drought induced a significant reduction in starch granule sizes in both wheat varieties, though the reduction observed in Xindong 23 was six times more pronounced than that observed for Xindong 20. Amyloglucosidase and α-amylase treatment of starch from wheat grown in drought conditions released significantly more reducing sugars compared with samples from irrigated controls. SEM and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed that starch granules from the two wheat varieties grown under drought conditions had substantially increased fluorescence after treatment with proteolytic enzymes and staining with methanolic merbromin and 3-(4-carboxybenzoyl) quinoline-2-carboxaldehyde dyes. Analysis of pasting properties showed significant increases of peak viscosity, trough viscosity, break down, and setback following drought stresses. Furthermore, drought induced a significant reduction in the water binding capacity and increased damage to starch only in Xindong 23. These results provide insight into the potential mechanisms through which drought influences the ultrastructures and physicochemical properties of starch in wheat.     

Adapting wheat in Europe for climate change

Increasing cereal yield is needed to meet the projected increased demand for world food supply of about 70% by 2050. Sirius, a process-based model for wheat, was used to estimate yield potential for wheat ideotypes optimized for future climatic projections for ten wheat growing areas of Europe. It was predicted that the detrimental effect of drought stress on yield would be decreased due to enhanced tailoring of phenology to future weather patterns, and due to genetic improvements in the response of photosynthesis and green leaf duration to water shortage. Yield advances could be made through extending maturation and thereby improve resource capture and partitioning. However the model predicted an increase in frequency of heat stress at meiosis and anthesis. Controlled environment experiments quantify the effects of heat and drought at booting and flowering on grain numbers and potential grain size. A current adaptation of wheat to areas of Europe with hotter and drier summers is a quicker maturation which helps to escape from excessive stress, but results in lower yields. To increase yield potential and to respond to climate change, increased tolerance to heat and drought stress should remain priorities for the genetic improvement of wheat.     

Vitreosity,its stability and relationship to protein content in durum wheat

High quality requirements are set on durum wheat (Triticum durum) from semolina mills and pasta producers. For the production of semolina and pasta with good cooking quality, high grain protein content and vitreosity is required. The dependency of vitreosity on protein content as well as its stability under the influence of humidity was not well investigated up to now. We (1) compared two methods to determine vitreosity, (2) investigated the relationship between vitreosity and protein content, (3) developed a method to analyze vitreosity under humidity, and (4) examined the relationship between protein content and agronomical as well as quality traits in durum wheat. The results showed that the formation of vitreous kernels greatly depends on the protein content. To evaluate the stability of vitreosity under the influence of humidity a new method was elaborated and employed to assess the durum germplasm under study. This revealed that vitreosity of a durum wheat variety depends on the potential to form vitreous kernels but also to maintain this vitreosity under the influence of humidity. Our results further show that protein content is a central trait in durum wheat that strongly influences important traits like grain yield, vitreosity, and b-value.     

Breeding for increased grain protein and micronutrient content in wheat: Ten years of the GPC-B1 gene

To provide food and nutrition security for a growing world population, continued improvements in the yield and nutritional quality of agricultural crops will be required. Wheat is an important source of calories, protein and micronutrients and is thus a priority to breed for improvements in these traits. The GRAIN PROTEIN CONTENT-B1 (GPC-B1) gene is a positive regulator of nutrient translocation which increases protein, iron and zinc concentration in the wheat grain. In the ten years since it was cloned, the impacts of GPC-B1 allelic variation on quality and yield traits have been extensively analyzed in diverse genetic backgrounds in field studies spanning forty environments and seven countries. In this review, we compile data from twenty-five studies to summarize the impact of GPC-B1 allelic variation on fifty different traits. Taken together, the results demonstrate that the functional copy of the GPC-B1 gene is associated with consistent positive effects on grain protein, Fe and Zn content with only marginally negative impacts on yield. We conclude that the GPC-B1 gene has the potential to increase nutritional and end use quality in a wide range of modern cultivars and environments and discuss the possibilities for its application in wheat breeding.     

Effect of high molecular weight glutenins and rye translocations on soft wheat flour cookie quality

The influence of high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) on wheat breadmaking quality has been extensively studied but the effect of different Glu-1 alleles on cookie quality is still poorly understood. This study was conducted to analyze the effect of HMW-GS composition and wheat-rye translocations on physicochemical flour properties and cookie quality of soft wheat flours. Alleles encoded at Glu-A1, Glu-B1 and Glu-D1 locus had a significant effect over physicochemical flour properties and solvent retention capacity (SRC) profile. The null allele for Glu-A1 locus presented the highest cookie factor observed (CF = 7.10), whereas 1BL/1RS and 1AL/1RS rye translocations had a negative influence on CF. The three cultivars that showed the highest CF (19, 44 and 47) had the following combination: Glu-A1 = null, Glu-B1 = 7 + 8, Glu-D1 = 2 + 12 and no secalins. Two prediction equations were developed to estimate soft wheat CF: one using the HMW-GS composition and the other using physicochemical flour parameters, where SRCsuc, SRC carb, water-soluble pentosans, damaged starch and protein turned out to be better CF predictors. This data suggests that grain protein allelic composition and physicochemical flour properties can be useful tools in breeding programs to select soft wheat of good cookie making quality.     

The impact of Septoria tritici blotch in bread making quality among argentinean wheat cultivars

Septoria tritici blotch (STB), caused by Zymoseptoria tritici is a relevant foliar wheat disease worldwide. Several reports show the importance of STB on grain yield, their components and grain protein while little is known about its effect on the rheological properties of the wheat flour. The scarce literature found, only mentions the effect of the complex of foliar diseases on wheat quality, without individualizing the effect of the different pathogens separately. This study analyze the influence of increasing doses of inoculum of Zymoseptoria tritici, on the bread making quality of ten Argentinean wheat cultivars and its possible variation according to their quality group. The increase of inoculum concentration augmented the area under disease progress curve, decreased green flag leaf area duration and green leaf area duration. Cultivars K. Flecha and B.75 Aniversario had the lowest green flag leaf area duration causing higher reduction in grain filling period and higher reductions in P, indicating a lower gliadin/glutenin ratio. STB decreased P/L and E while L, W, D, SV and bread volume increased. Cultivars differed in rheological parameters according to their quality group. Gluten/protein relationship was significant in quality group 1 and non-significant in cultivars belonging to quality group 2 and 3.     

Linear relationships between agronomic and nutritional traits in transgenic genotypes of maize

The aims of this study were to assess the linear relationships between agronomic and nutritional traits and identify promising traits for indirect selection in transgenic genotypes of maize. Eighteen transgenic maize genotypes were assessed in randomized blocks with three replications. The agronomic (number of days from sowing until male flowering, number of days from sowing until female flowering, plant height, ear insertion height and grain yield) and nutritional (crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, starch and amylose) traits were measured. Analysis of variance was run for each of the 10 traits and phenotypic and genotypic correlation coefficient matrices estimated. Ridge path analysis were performed the nutritional traits were treated as main variable (dependent) and agronomic traits as explanatory variables (independents). The number of days from sowing until female flowering has a positive linear relationship to crude protein, ether extract and starch. Plant height has a positive linear relationship to crude fiber. Ear height has a positive linear relationship to amylose. Grain yield has a positive linear relationship to starch. The number of days from sowing until male flowering, plant height, ear height and grain yield can be used indirect selection in maize.     

Suitability of tef varieties in mixed wheat flour bread matrices: A physico-chemical and nutritional approach

Wheat flour replacement from 0 to 40% by single tef flours from three Ethiopian varieties DZ-01-99 (brown grain tef), DZ-Cr-37 (white grain tef) and DZ-Cr-387 (Quncho, white grain tef) yielded a technologically viable ciabatta type composite bread with acceptable sensory properties and enhanced nutritional value, as compared to 100% refined wheat flour. Incorporation of tef flour from 30% to 40% imparted discreet negative effects in terms of decreased loaf volume and crumb resilience, and increase of crumb hardness in brown tef blended breads. Increment of crumb hardness on aging was in general much lower in tef blended breads compared to wheat bread counterparts, revealing slower firming kinetics, especially for brown tef blended breads. Blended breads with 40% white tef exhibited similar extent and variable rate of retrogradation kinetics along storage, while brown tef-blended breads retrograded slower but in higher extent than control wheat flour breads. Breads that contains 40% tef grain flour were found to contain five folds (DZ-01-99, DZ-Cr-387) to 10 folds (DZ-Cr-37) Fe, three folds Mn, twice Cu, Zn and Mg, and 1.5 times Ca, K, and P contents as compared to the contents found in 100% refined wheat grain flour breads. In addition, suitable dietary trends for lower rapidly digestible starch and starch digestion rate index were met from tef grain flour fortified breads.     

Comparison of the volatile profiles of the crumb of gluten-free breads by DHE-GC/MS

The aroma of gluten-free bread has been considered of lower quality than that of the common wheat bread. With the aim of improving the aroma of gluten-free bread, the volatile profiles of the crumb of gluten-free breads made from rice, teff, buckwheat, amaranth and quinoa flours as well as corn starch, respectively, were evaluated. Wheat bread was used as a reference and dynamic headspace extraction together with GC/MS was employed. It was found that the whole grain breads, made with teff, quinoa and amaranth flours, presented a stronger aroma with higher number of important aroma contributors. Rice bread was characterised by the highest levels in nonanal and 2,4-decadienal and corn starch bread by 2,3-pentanedione and 2-furaldehyde. Teff presented the highest abundance of ethyl hexanoate and ethyl nonanoate, but also of alcohols and aldehydes from lipid oxidation. Quinoa and amaranth were classified by the highest content in Strecker and Ehrlich aldehydes as well as 1-propanol, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butanol or 3-hydroxy-2-butanone from fermentation. Corn starch bread was the closest to wheat bread in the PCA due to the highest content mainly in 2,3-butanedione and furfural as well as the lowest contents in 1-propanol, 1-hexanol and pentanal.     

Study of the mechanism of improvement due to waxy wheat flour addition on the quality of frozen dough bread

Waxy wheat flour (WWF) was substituted for 10% regular wheat flour (RWF) in frozen doughs and the physicochemical properties of starch and protein isolated from the frozen doughs stored for different time intervals (0, 1, 2, 4 and 8 weeks) were determined to establish the underlying reasons leading to the effects observed in WWF addition on frozen dough quality. Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), Differential Scanning Calorimeter (DSC) and X-ray Diffraction (XRD) among others, the gluten content, water molecular state, glutenin macropolymer content, damaged starch content, starch swelling power, gelatinization properties, starch crystallinity and bread specific volume were measured. Compared to RWF dough at the same frozen storage condition, 10% WWF addition decreased dry gluten and glutenin macropolymer contents and T₂₃ proton density of frozen dough, but increased the wet gluten content, T₂₁ and T₂₂ proton density. 10% WWF addition also decreased damaged starch content, but increased starch swelling power, gelatinization temperature and enthalpy, crystallinity of starch and bread specific volume of frozen dough. Results in the present study showed that the improvement observed due to WWF addition in frozen dough bread quality might be attributed to its inhibition of redistribution of water molecules bound to proteins, increase in damaged starch content and decrease in starch swelling power.     

Barley genotype expressing “stay-green”-like characteristics maintains starch quality of the grain during water stress condition

The identification of “stay-green” in sorghum and its positive correlation with yield increases has encouraged attempts to incorporate “stay-green”-like traits into the genomes of other commercially important cereal crops. However, knowledge on the effects of “stay-green” expression on grain quality under extreme physiological stress is limited. This study examines impacts of “stay-green”-like expression on starch biosynthesis in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) grain under mild, severe, and acute water stress conditions induced at anthesis. The proportions of long amylopectin branches and amylose branches in the grain of Flagship (a cultivar without “stay-green”-like characteristics) were higher at low water stress, suggesting that water stress affects starch biosynthesis in grain, probably due to early termination of grain fill. The changes in long branches can affect starch properties, such as the rates of enzymatic degradation, and hence its nutritional value. By contrast, grain from the “stay-green”-like cultivar (ND24260) did not show variation in starch molecular structure under the different water stress levels. The results indicate that the cultivar with “stay-green”-like traits has a greater potential to maintain starch biosynthesis and quality in grain during drought conditions, making the “stay-green”-like traits potentially useful in ensuring food security.     

Polymerisation of gluten proteins in developing wheat grain as affected by desiccation

The breadmaking quality of wheat is affected by the composition of gluten proteins and the polymerisation of subunits that are synthesised and accumulated in developing wheat grain. The biological mechanisms and time course of these events during grain development are documented, but not widely confirmed. Therefore, the aim of this study was to monitor the accumulation of gluten protein subunits and the size distribution of protein aggregates during grain development. The effect of desiccation on the polymerisation of gluten proteins and the functional properties of gluten were also studied. The results showed that the size of glutenin polymers remained consistently low until yellow ripeness (YR), while it increased during grain desiccation after YR. Hence, this polymerisation process was presumed to be initiated by desiccation. A similar polymerisation event was also observed when premature grains were dried artificially. The composition of gluten proteins, the ratios of glutenin to gliadin and high molecular weight-glutenin subunits to low molecular weight-glutenin subunits, in premature grain after artificial desiccation showed close association with the size of glutenin polymers in artificially dried grain. Functional properties of gluten in these samples were also associated with polymer size after artificial desiccation.     

Interplay between starch and proteins in waxy wheat

Most of the unique properties of waxy wheat have been associated with the lack of amylose, that in turn may affect the mutual interactions between starch and proteins. To address this particular aspect, we carried out molecular, rheological, and calorimetric studies on flours from two waxy wheat lines that were compared with a non-waxy one. Dough thermal properties and water binding capacity were investigated by Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC) and by thermogravimetric analysis, respectively. Protein solvation, aggregation, and thiol accessibility were also investigated, together with dough mixing properties and stickiness. Proteins in waxy wheat samples needed more water to complete solvation, likely because of the water-retaining capacity of waxy wheat starch. In waxy wheat dough, water was tightly bound to starch, and DSC studies indicated an increase in gelatinization temperature. Moreover, the low water mobility in waxy wheat resulted in low and retarded gluten hydration and in high stickiness. In samples with the highest stickiness, protein aggregates were stabilized mainly by hydrophobic interactions. Differences between waxy wheat lines may be attributed to a different structural organization of components within each class of biopolymers.     

Effects of particle size on the quality attributes of reconstituted whole-wheat flour and tortillas made from it

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of whole-wheat flour (WWF) particle size on the quality attributes of WWF tortillas. WWF samples of different particle size distributions from commercial U.S. hard white (median diameters: 175.7, 128.6, 120.0, 108.5 and 102.4 μm), hard red winter (median diameters: 173.7, 133.6, 124.3, 110.8 and 104.2 μm) and hard red spring (median diameters: 173.7, 132.1, 124.7, 112.9, 106.3 μm) wheat classes were obtained by fine grinding of bran and shorts and re-combining with the rest of fractions. For all three wheat classes, as WWF median particle size decreased, the L* (lightness) value decreased but the adjusted damaged starch, polyphenol oxidase activity, and a* and b* values increased. Mixolab data showed that development time decreased as WWF particle size was reduced, while stability time and starch retrogradation increased. As for WWF tortilla quality, the breaking force and extensibility increased with decreasing particle size from ∼175 to 129–134 μm, but diameter and thickness were not significantly affected. The results indicated that reducing the median particle sizes of WWFs from ∼175 μm to ∼130 μm would significantly improve the WWF tortilla quality.     

Genome-wide association mapping of starch granule size distribution in common wheat

Starch is a crucial component in wheat endosperm and plays an important role in processing quality. Endosperm of matured wheat grains contains two distinct starch granules (SG), referred to as larger A- and smaller B-granules. In the present study, 166 Chinese bread wheat cultivars planted in four environments were characterized for variation in SG size. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) using the 90 K SNP assay identified 23 loci for percentage volumes of A- and B-granules, and 25 loci for the ratio of A-/B-granules volumes, distributing on 15 chromosomes. Fifteen MTAs were associated with both the percentage volumes of A-, B-granules and the ratio of A-/B-granules volumes. MTAs IWB34623 and IWA3693 on chromosome 7A and IWB22624 and IWA4574 on chromosome 7B associated with the percentage volumes of A- and B-granules consistently identified in multiple environments were considered to be stable. Linear regression analysis showed a significantly negative correlation of the number of favorable alleles with the percentage volumes of A-granules and a significantly positive correlation between the number of favorable alleles and the percentage volumes of B-granules, respectively. The loci identified in this study and associated markers could provide basis for manipulating SG size to obtain superior noodle quality in wheat.