Genetic diversity of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit compositions in landraces of hexaploid wheat from Japan

The high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunit composition of seed storage protein of 174 Japanese hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) landraces have been examined by using sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis system. Twenty four different, major glutenin HMW subunits were identified, and each of the landraces contained three to five subunits and 17 different glutenin subunit patterns were observed for 13 alleles in the landraces. On the basis of HMW glutenin subunits composition, Japanese landraces showed a specific allelic variation, close to Japanese commercial wheats in HMW glutenin subunits, different from those in alien hexaploid wheats. Further, it could be concluded that all common glutenin alleles can be found in the 174 landraces originated from Japan. The variation detected in the glutenin subunits is useful for variety identification, has a bearing on our understanding of hexaploid wheat genetic resource evolution in Japan, and raises questions concerning the nature of this genetic variation. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.