Relationship between allelic variation of Glu-1 and Gli-1/Glu-3 prolamin loci and gluten strength in hexaploid wheat

Summary Allelic variation of prolamin loci was examined in the F₂ from crosses between the hexaploid wheat varieties: Cajeme 71, Yécora 70, Ablaca, Anza, Pané 247 and Axona. Different allelic blocks for gliadins and LMW glutenin subunits were determined in Gli-1, Gli-2 and Glu-3 loci. A percentage of recombination of 1.5 ± 0.3 was determined between Gli-A1 and Glu-3 in the F₂ progeny of Yécora 70 x Axona. A significant positive association was found between gluten strength, measured by SDS-sedimentation volume, and the prolamins coded by Anza Gli-D1/Glu-D3 loci and Yécora 70 Gli-A1/Glu-A3 loci. Interactions between non homeologous loci Glu-1 and Gli-1/Glu-3 were also found.     

Relationships between different prolamin proteins and some quality properties in durum wheat

The objective of this paper was to study the differences between some prolamin variants coded at the loci Glu-3/Gli-1, Glu-1 and Gli-A2 and their relative roles in durum-wheat quality. F₃ lines from four durum wheat crosses (‘Abadia’בMexicali’. ‘Oscar’בArdente’, ‘Oscar × Mexicali’ and ‘Alaga’בC. of Balazote’) were analysed for gliadin and glutenin composition by electrophoresis. Whole-grain-derived samples were analysed for SDS sedimentation (SDSS) value, mixing properties, and contents of protein and vitreousness. The glutenin patterns LMW-2. LMW-2^? and LMW-2 (CB) at Glu-B3/Gli-B1 were associated with better gluten quality than were LMW-1 and LMW-2*. The glutenin subunits LMW4 and LMW3 + 15 at Glu-A3/Gli-A1 and HMW-1 showed better mixing properties than LMW7 + 12, LMW5 and the null phenotype. respectively. The HMW glutenin subunits 20 + 8 at Glu-B1 showed a negative association with gluten quality, but the rest of the HMW glutenin subunits and α-gliadins did not show any influence on gluten quality. Correlations between the results of the SDSS test and the mixograph were highly significant, but no correlation was found between these results and protein and vitreousness contents. The results are discussed in relation to the development of durum wheat varieties with improved qualities.     

Isolation of amaranth flour proteins by fractionation procedures and sonication

The use of whole and defatted amaranth flour for protein isolation of Osborne fractions is described. Extractability of prolamins, the minor fraction, increased from 2.8 to 5% by adding a reducing agent. Glutelins proved to be poorly solubilized (3.3%) in dilute acetic acid, but they reached a high solubility value (40.8%) using a borate buffer in the presence of a reducing agent and a detergent; solubility remarkably declined without the latter two chemicals. Sonication (a fast and simple technique) in the presence of a detergent proved to be more efficient, compared with stirring, for extractability of total unreduced proteins.     

Gli-B3/Glu-B2 encoded prolamins do not affect selected quality properties in the durum wheat cross 'Abadía'×'Mexicali 75'

A study was made of the effects of the Gli-B3/Glu-B2 encoded prolamins on durum-wheat quality. Twenty-six F₃ lines from the durum wheat cross ‘Abadia’בMexicali 75’ were analysed electrophoretically for prolamin composition and for the following quality parameters: SDS sedimentation value, mixing properties, and percentage grain protein and percentage vitreous kernels. The results showed that the presence or absence of the Gli-B3/Glu-B2 encoded prolamins did not result in any significant difference in the quality characteristics of the F₃ lines; however, as expected, the LMW glutenins encoded at Glu-B3 showed large differences and are therefore the major prolamins influencing durum wheat gluten quality.     

Searching for DNA introgressed from wheat and for wheat-like grain proteins in a rice x wheat hybridization derivative

The DNA of a putative rice x wheat hybridization derivative (X Oryticum oryzoides) from China, the DNA of its parental rice cultivar and the DNA of a wheat line were digested with ten different restriction endonucleases, resolved by agarose electrophoresis, Southern blotted and hybridized using genomic wheat DNA as a probe. Phenol extracted, ethanol and cetyltrimethylammonium bromide precipitated DNA of the putative hybrid showed a restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) different from that of the parental rice. When the DNA was further purified by Qiagen chromatography, the RFLP differences were not detected. Hence the apparent RFLP differences were probably due partial digestion of the less pure DNA preparations by the restriction endonucleases. No real introgressed fragments from wheat genome could be shown. The HpaII/MspI sites were more frequently digested with MspI than with HpaII in rice and hybridization derivative DNA, but the sites were evidently more frequently methylated in wheat DNA. Thus, in terms of methylation of the DNA, the hybridization derivative was much more like the rice parent than the wheat parent. The hybridization derivative showed a single endospermal protein (mass 19 kg mol^-1) not detected in the parental rice cultivar. This minor protein was soluble in buffered 50% isopropanol and precipitable with methanol. The results indicate that there are no or only short introgressed sequences from wheat in the rice/wheat derivative, a result which might be considered in breeding efforts with the hybrid derivative.     

Seed Protein Electrophoresis for Varietal Identification in Rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Albumins, prolamins and globulins were extracted from milled rice of long, medium and short grain varieties Japonica type and analyzed by native PAGE and SDS-PAGE. A computer aided analysis of protein patterns was employed in order to estimate the best electrophoresis method to differentiate between rice varieties. The patterns of SDS-electrophoresis of albumins and globulins showed the biggest differences in all types of rice grains and allowed the identification of the rice varieties examined, since for each variety the pattern was different. Therefore, the technique of SDS-electrophoresis of albumins and globulins is recommended as more suitable to distinguish among closely related varieties and can be used by rice breeders in order to characterize various varieties and pick the most diverse for breeding purposes.     

The Biochemical Basis and Implications of Grain Strength in Sorghum and Maize

This review deals with the biochemical basis and implications of hardness and grain strength in sorghum and maize. Grain hardness affects various aspects of the growth and processing of cereal grain from resistance to fungal infection to cooking quality. It is clear that the prolamins play an important role with the γ-prolamins being the most important. It would appear that these prolamins help shape the protein bodies and form disulphide bonds within themselves or with other proteins. The γ-prolamins form the cement while the α-prolamins are the bricks. Both prolamins are present in greater proportions in hard grains and in the vitreous portion of hard grains. Genetic and environmental effects on the amounts of the different prolamins and on their distributions within the protein body and in different parts of the endosperm also determine grain hardness. Grains that will be hard appear to deposit prolamins and antifungal proteins earlier and in greater amount than do soft grains. The cell wall composition is also different between the two types of grains while there is a higher proportions of amylose in the starch of hard than in that of soft grains. Most of the differences that exist between hard and soft grains also exist between the outer and inner portion of the grain. It is postulated that there might be a master gene controlling the onset of strength in grains by simultaneously altering the levels of various apparently unrelated biochemical events. It is also suggested that solute availability may play an important role in the regulation of expression of genes for hardness-related proteins.     

Genetic diversity of Acid-PAGE monomeric prolamins in cultivated hulless barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) from Qinghai–Tibet plateau in China

Naked barley, due to its favorable attributes such as high feed value, good human nutrition and easy processing, increasingly attracts people’s attention. Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is very rich in naked barley resources and has a long growing history. Genetic diversity of these cultivated naked barley is, however, poorly documented. This study analyzed the genetic diversity of monomeric prolamins (protein fraction corresponding to wheat gliadins) using the Acid -PAGE technique in eighty-six cultivated naked barley cultivars from Qinghai–Tibet Plateau. Extensive diversity was observed. A total of 43 different bands and 76 distinct patterns were found. Jaccard’s coefficient of similarity was calculated, and the accessions were divided into five main groups by cluster analysis using UPGMA. Differentiation among the populations from different collecting regions was investigated, based on the polymorphism of monomeric prolamins. The genetic diversity within the accessions from Tibet was slightly higher with an average diversity index of 0.29 than those from Sichuan. This study supports Tibetan Plateau is the diversity center of the cultivated naked barley and suggests that cultivated naked barley from Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is an important pool of variability that could be used in cereal breeding.     

Prolamin Analysis of Progenies from Androgenetic Plants of Triticale

The present work reports results of the analysis of variability of prolamins in five breeding lines of triticale and 61 androgenetic progenies obtained from them by in vitro culture of the anthers. The phenotypic analysis of the prolamins showed heterogeneity even between seeds harvested from the same plant regenerated by in vitro culture. The variability of prolamins in this material could be, perhaps, explained under different hypotheses: unreduced microspores, embryo fusion. The percentage of androgenetic plants which generated uniform progenies for the prolamins was 14.7. The plants obtained by in vitro culture showed a significant increase of the phenotypic variability for both specific bands and patterns of prolamins as compared with the parental materials. Some plants showed missing groups of prolamins in their electrophoretic profiles, which completely affected specific regions of the proteinogram. This could be explained by gametoclonal variation based on either structural rearrangements, or aneuploidy affecting chromosomes carrying genes involved in the expression of prolamins.     

Analysis of D-prolamins synthesized by the Hordeum chilense genome and their effects on gluten strength in hexaploid tritordeum

Hexaploid tritordeum is the amphiploid derived from the cross between Hordeum chilense and durum wheat. The storage proteins synthesized in the H^ch genome influence the gluten strength of this amphiploid. The D‐prolamins of H. chilense have been analysed by sodium dodecyl sulphate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis with and without urea. A new locus named Glu‐H^ch3 has been detected. The effects of allelic variation at this locus on gluten strength, as measured the sodium dodecyl sulphate sedimentation test, were determined using seeds of 92 lines from a cross of two hexaploid tritordeum lines. Two allelic variants have been detected for this locus, which have shown different effects on gluten strength.