A gene encoding the high-molecular-weight (HMW) subunit of glutenin 1Ax1 was isolated from bread wheat cv Hope. Comparison of the deduced amino acid sequence with that previously reported for an allelic subunit, 1Ax2(*), showed only minor differences, which were consistent with both subunits being associated with good bread-making quality. Quantitative analyses of total protein extracts from 22 cultivars of bread wheat showed that the presence of either subunit 1Ax1 or 1Ax2(*), when compared with a null allele, resulted in an increase in the proportion of HMW subunit protein from ca. 8 to 10% of the total. It is suggested that this quantitative increase in HMW subunit protein may account for the association of 1Ax subunits with good quality.

Storage proteins account for about 50% of the total protein in mature cereal grains and have important impacts on their nutritional quality for humans and livestock and on their functional properties in food processing. Current knowledge of the structures and properties of the prolamin and globulin storage proteins of cereals and their mechanisms of synthesis, trafficking and deposition in the developing grain is briefly reviewed here. The role of the gluten proteins of wheat in determining the quality of the grain for breadmaking and how their amount and composition can be manipulated leading to changes in dough mixing properties is also discussed.

Allelic variations at the Glu-1 and Glu-3 loci play an important role in determining dough properties and bread-making quality. Two hundred and fifty-one cultivars and advanced lines from four major Chinese wheat-producing zones in the autumn-sown wheat regions were used to investigate the high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW GS) and low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (LMW GS) composition controlled by the Glu-1 and Glu-3 loci, respectively, as well as the presence of the 1B.1R translocation, and to determine the association of storage protein composition with protein content, SDS sedimentation value, and dough-mixing properties measured by mixograph. Three, nine, and four allelic variations were present at Glu-A1, Glu-B1, and Glu-D1, respectively. Subunits 1, N, 7+8, 7+9, and 2+12 are the dominant HMW GS, with frequencies of 51.3, 39.4, 38.2, 45.0, and 59.8%, respectively. Five and eight allelic variations were present at the Glu-A3 and Glu-B3 loci (data of Glu-D3 were not available), Glu-A3a, Glu-A3d, Glu-B3j (presence of the 1B.1R translocation), and Glu-B3d are the dominant LMW GS, with frequencies of 37.1, 31.7, 44.6, and 20.3%, respectively. The frequencies of allelic variation at Glu-1 and Glu-3 differ greatly in different regions. The effects of HMW GS and LMW GS on SDS sedimentation value, mixing time, and mixing tolerance were significant at P = 0.01, with Glu-D1 and Glu-B3 showing the largest contributions to mixing time and mixing tolerance. Averaged data from two locations showed that the quality effects of glutenin loci could be ranked as Glu-B3 > Glu-B1 > Glu-A1 > Glu-D1 > Glu-A3 for SDS sedimentation value, Glu-D1 > Glu-B3 > Glu-A1 = Glu-B1 = Glu-A3 for mixing time, and Glu-D1 > Glu-B3 = Glu-B1 > Glu-A3 > Glu-A1 for mixing tolerance, respectively. The significant and negative effect of the 1B.1R translocation on dough properties was confirmed. It was concluded that the high frequency of undesirable HMW GS and LMW GS and the presence of the 1B.1R translocation are responsible for the weak gluten property of Chinese germplasm; hence, reducing the frequency of the 1B.1R translocation and integration of desirable subunits at Glu-1 and Glu-3 such as 1, 7+8, 14+15, 5+10, Glu-A3d, and Glu-B3d, could lead to the improvement of gluten quality in Chinese wheats.]]>

为进一步发掘优异基因资源，为小麦品质遗传和育种改良提供基础材料，用十二烷基硫酸钠-聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳（SDS-PAGE）方法，对分布于四川南部及重庆地区的49种地方小麦品种进行了高分子量谷蛋白亚基（HMW—GS）组成分析。结果表明，供试小麦材料的HMW—GS组成主要有3种类型，以“Null、7＋8．2＋12”亚基组合出现的频率最高，说明这些地区的小麦地方品种在HMW—GS的组成上具有较高的遗传相似性，这为小麦品种中国春源于四川白麦子的说法提供了有力证据。研究还发现地方品种“奉节罗汉麦”中的Glu-IDx的编码蛋白不表达，这在中国小麦自然群体中属首次报道；同时在“南江青杆麦”的Glu-B1位点上发现了仅存在于四倍体小麦中的23＋18亚基。

为了明确中国小麦地方品种的遗传多样性,并为小麦品质改良提供基础材料,利用十二烷基硫酸钠聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳(SDS-PAGE)技术,分析了源自中国22个省市地区的200份代表性地方品种的高分子量麦谷蛋白亚基组成.结果表明,Glu-1位点共检测到35种亚基组合,null/7 8/2 12组合的频率最高,为59%,其它亚基组合的频率均低于10%;Glu-A1、Glu-B1和Glu-D1位点上的等位变异分别为3、12和9种,三位点中的优势亚基依次为null、7 8和2 12,其频率分别达86.5%、73.0%和85.0%.另外在Glu-B1位点上还检测到6 8 19和6 9、7、22等稀有亚基.本研究所选200份代表性地方品种的HMW-GS组成类型虽然丰富,但与品质相关的优质亚基频率较低.亚基组合得分在8分以上的品种为19个;得分在9分以上的品种有4个,它们是草鞋边(ZM011396)、中81Ⅲ-6218(ZM013120)、高8(ZM0094z8)和京红7号(ZM008935).

Genes encoding high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits, present in bread-wheat lines and cultivars, were studied by RFLP (restriction fragment length polymorphism) and PCR (polymerase chain reaction) analyses. In particular, allelic subunits of the x-or y-type, encoded at the Glu-D1 locus present on the long arm of chromosome 1D, were investigated. The variation in size, observed in different allelic subunits, is mainly due to variation in the length of the central repetitive domain, typical of these proteins. Deletions or duplications, probably caused by unequal crossingover, have given rise to the size heterogeneity currently observed. The possibility of using the PCR technique for a detailed analysis of HMW glutenin genes in order to obtain a more accurate estimation of the molecular weight of their encoded subunits, and the detection of unexpressed genes, is also described.

The Glu-1 locus, encoding the high-molecular-weight glutenin protein subunits, controls bread-making quality in hexaploid wheat (Triticum aestivum) and represents a recently evolved region unique to Triticeae genomes. To understand the molecular evolution of this locus region, three orthologous Glu-1 regions from the three subgenomes of a single hexaploid wheat species were sequenced, totaling 729 kb of sequence. Comparing each Glu-1 region with its corresponding homologous region from the D genome of diploid wheat, Aegilops tauschii, and the A and B genomes of tetraploid wheat, Triticum turgidum, revealed that, in addition to the conservation of microsynteny in the genic regions, sequences in the intergenic regions, composed of blocks of nested retroelements, are also generally conserved, although a few nonshared retroelements that differentiate the homologous Glu-1 regions were detected in each pair of the A and D genomes. Analysis of the indel frequency and the rate of nucleotide substitution, which represent the most frequent types of sequence changes in the Glu-1 regions, demonstrated that the two A genomes are significantly more divergent than the two B genomes, further supporting the hypothesis that hexaploid wheat may have more than one tetraploid ancestor.

A cloned 8.2 kb EcoRI fragment has been isolated from a genomic library of DNA derived from Triticum aestivum L. cv. Cheyenne. This fragment contains sequences related to the high molecular weight (HMW) subunits of glutenin, proteins considered to be important in determining the elastic properties of gluten. The cloned HMW subunit gene appears to be derived from chromosome 1A. The nucleotide sequence of this gene has provided new information on the structure and evolution of the HMW subunits. However, hybrid-selection translation experiments suggest that this gene is silent.

The high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) are a major class of common wheat storage proteins. The bread-making quality of common wheat flour is influenced by the composition of HMW-GSs. In the present study, two unexpressed 1By genes from Triticum aesitvum ssp.yunnanese AS332 and T. aesitvum ssp.tibetanum AS908 were respectively cloned and characterized. The results indicated that both of the silenced 1By genes in AS332 and AS908 were 1By9. Different from previously reported mechanisms for silenced genes 1Ax and 1Ay, which was due to the insertion of transposon elements or presence of premature stop codon via base substitution of C→T transition in trinucleotides CAA or CAG, the silence of 1By9 genes were caused by premature stop codons via the deletion of base A in trinucleotide CAA, which leaded to frameshift mutation and indirectly produced several premature stop codons (TAG) at the downstream of the coding sequence.

End-use functionality of bread wheat depends mainly on the protein content, the presence of particular subunits of high and low molecular weight glutenin, the ratio of high molecular weight to low molecular weight glutenin subunits, and the ratio of glutenin to gliadin. The exact contribution of each of these factors to end-use functionality is still largely unknown. Transgenic plants can allow these factors to be studied within a particular background thus contributing to our understanding of end-use functionality. Two Canadian wheat lines, one of them containing high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) coded by all three Glu-1 loci and one line null at all three loci were assessed for dough rheological properties and bread and tortilla-making properties. Protein composition of the flours were characterized by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography, and sedimentation test. Proteins in the samples were fractionated and the proportions of monomeric proteins, soluble glutenin, and insoluble glutenin were quantified. Functionality of the flours were characterized by small-scale methods such as the 2 g mixograph, 10 g farinograph, and micro-extension testing. End-use quality was evaluated by small-scale bread and tortilla production. Mixograph development time and mixograph peak height were much higher for the lines containing HMW-GS. The lines null for HMW-GS showed no resistance to extension. Lines null for HMW-GS produced 'brick'-like bread. Tortilla prepared from the null lines had poor rollability and lower puncture force. The results showed very strong dependencies of quality on the presence of HMW-GS.]]>

Glu-1位点正常和部分缺失的小麦品系为材料，探讨HMW-GS和LMW-GS组成与谷蛋白聚合体粒度分布和面团特性的关系，为利用HMW-GS缺失系改良小麦品质提供理论依据。在20个供试硬白冬麦品系中，1个品系为Glu-A1位点缺失，5个品系为Glu-D1缺失，3个品系为Glu-A1和Glu-D1双缺失。所有品系的蛋白质含量皆较高(13.39%~14.12%)，品系间无显著差异，缺失系与非缺失系间也无显著差异。Glu-1位点缺失显著降低了高分子量谷蛋白/低分子量谷蛋白比(HMW/LMW)、不溶性谷蛋白大聚体的含量和百分比。谷蛋白/醇溶蛋白比(GLU/GLI)在基因型间变幅较小，且在缺失系和非缺失系间无显著差异。Glu-1位点缺失显著降低了面团弹性，但显著提高了面团的延展性。部分Glu-1位点缺失系仍具有较高的面团强度和突出的延展性，谷蛋白聚合体粒度分布和面团特性受谷蛋白亚基组成和表达量的共同影响。研究结果表明，利用Glu-1位点亚基缺失可能是改善面筋延展性，提高食品加工品质的方法之一。]]>

P<0.05)。缺失型的揉面仪峰值时间和8 min带宽变异范围分别为1.38~1.64 min和3.38%~3.98%，显著低于野生型的2.00 min和4.57% (P<0.05)，以Glu-B1x和Glu-D1x缺失型表现最低。与野生型相比，缺失型的糖酥饼干直径均有增加，其中Glu-B1x、Glu-B1y和Glu-D1y缺失型饼干直径的增加达显著水平(P<0.05)，而缺失型之间的差异不显著。在宁麦9号背景下，高分子量麦谷蛋白单亚基缺失弱化了面筋强度，改善了糖酥饼干加工品质，亚基敲除可能是进一步提高软质小麦加工品质的有效途径。]]>

本研究旨在创制遗传背景一致的不同高分子量谷蛋白亚基(HMW-GS)缺失系, 为小麦品质研究和育种提供材料。将软质小麦品种宁麦9号, 用0.4% EMS溶液处理10 000粒种子, 获得3781个M1代单株, 采用&ldquo;半粒法&rdquo;对每个株系进行SDS-PAGE鉴定, 从中筛选出299个(7.91%) HMW-GS突变株, 包括HMW-GS缺失和分子量突变两种类型。其中, HMW-GS缺失突变176株, 突变频率为4.65%, 缺失亚基涉及Ax1、Bx7、By8、Dx2和Dy12, 突变频率为0.24%~3.28%; 分子量突变130株, 突变频率为3.44%。将突变体的具胚端种子于温室中繁殖获得M2代, 再次鉴定各株系的HMW-GS, 并经M3代验证, 最终获得Ax1、Dx2、Bx7、By8和Dy12缺失突变体, 及Ax1+By8双缺失突变体。用高效液相色谱(HPLC)分析这些突变体的谷蛋白大聚体(GMP)和谷蛋白/醇溶蛋白(GLU/GLI)比值, 发现不同缺失突变体的GMP含量都有不同程度的降低, 尤以Bx7亚基缺失突变体中GMP含量降幅最大, 高达42%。另外, 不同缺失突变体的谷蛋白总量和GLU/GLI比值也低于对照, Ax1+By8双缺失突变体的GLU/GLI比值最小。

Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) dough strength and extensibility are mainly determined by the polymerization of glutenin. The number of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) differs in various wheat varieties due to the silencing of some genes. The effects of Ax1 or Dx2 subunit absence on glutenin polymerization, dough mixing properties and gluten micro structure were investigated with two groups of near-isogenic lines. The results showed that Ax1 or Dx2 absence decreased the accumulation rate of glutenin polymers and thus delayed the rapid increase period for glutenin polymerization by at least ten days, which led to lower percentage of polymeric protein in mature grain. Ax1 or Dx2 absence significantly decreased the dough development time and dough stability, but increased the uniformity of micro structure. Lacunarity, derived from quantitative analysis of gluten network, is suggested as a new indicator for wheat quality.

To efficiently conduct genetic analysis, it is beneficial to have multiple types of mutants for the genes under investigation. Here, we demonstrate that ion beam-induced deletion mutants can be efficiently isolated for comparing the function of homoeologous loci of common wheat (Triticum aestivum). Through fragment analysis of PCR products from M-2 plants, ion beam mutants lacking homoeologous Glu-A1, Glu-B1 or Glu-D1 loci, which encode high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) and affect gluten functionality and end-use quality of common wheat, could be isolated simultaneously. Three deletion lines missing Glu-A1, Glu-B1 or Glu-D1 were developed from the original mutants, with the Glu-1 genomic regions deleted in these lines estimated using newly developed DNA markers. Apart from lacking the target HMW-GSs, the three lines all showed decreased accumulation of low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) and increased amounts of gliadins. Based on the test data of five gluten and glutenin macropolymer (GMP) parameters obtained with grain samples harvested from two environments, we conclude that the genetic effects of Glu-1 loci on gluten functionality can be ranked as Glu-D1 > Glu-B1 > Glu-A1. Furthermore, it is suggested that Glu-1 loci contribute to gluten functionality both directly (by promoting the formation of GMP) and indirectly (through keeping the balance among HMW-GSs, LMW-GSs and gliadins). Finally, the efficient isolation of ion beam mutations for functional comparison of homoeologous loci in polyploid plants and the usefulness of Glu-1 deletion lines for further studying the contribution of Glu-1 loci to gluten functionality are discussed.]]>

AbstractIn recent years, high molecular weight glutenin subunit (HMW-GS) null mutants have been found to be useful for studying the contribution of HMW-GS to the flour processing quality of wheat (Triticum aestivum L. em. Thell.). However, few reports have dealt with the development and characterization of such variants. In the present study, the RNA interference (RNAi) method was applied to Bobwhite wheat, which has five actively expressed HMW-GS genes (namely 1Ax2*, 1Dx5, 1Bx7, 1By9, 1Dy10), with the aim of silencing the expression of 1Dx5. Out of the six transgenic events characterized, 1Dx5 expression was completely blocked in four transgenic events (L1–L4), and partially reduced in the other two (L5, L6). In contrast, the protein levels of 1Ax2*, 1By9 and 1Dy10 were not significantly affected in any of the six transgenic events. Interestingly, 1Bx7 protein accumulation was negatively affected in all six events and their progenies. 1Dx5 transcript levels in developing seeds at 15 days after pollination (DAP) were undetectable in L1 and dramatically reduced in L5. The silencing of 1Dx5 expression caused a substantial decrease in flour processing quality based on Farinograph, gluten and Zeleny tests. Collectively, our data suggest that RNAi is useful for silencing HMW-GS genes. The resultant transgenic lines are of value for studying the contributions of specific HMW-GS to wheat flour processing quality.]]>

In wheat ( Triticum aestivum L), the synthesis of high molecular weight (HMW) glutenins (GS) is controlled by three heterologous genetic loci present on the long arms of group 1 wheat chromosomes. The loci Glu-A1, Glu-B1, and Glu-D1 and their allelic variants play important roles in the functional properties of wheat flour. This study focused on understanding the functionality of these protein subunits on tortilla quality. Near-isogenic wheat lines in which one or more of these loci were absent or deleted were used. Tortillas were prepared from each deletion line and the parent lines. The elimination of certain HMW-GS alleles alter distinct but critical aspects of tortilla quality such as diameter, shelf stability, and overall quality. Two deletion lines possessing HMW-GS 17 + 18 at Glu-B1 and deletions in Glu-A1 and Glu-D1 had significantly larger tortilla diameters, yet tortilla shelf life was compromised or unchanged from the parent lines used to develop the deletion lines or the commercial tortilla flour used as a control. Alternatively, a deletion line possessing Glu-A1 and Glu-D1 (HMW-GS 1, 5 + 10) and a deletion in Glu-B1 also significantly improved tortilla diameters. Whereas the increase in diameter was less than the line possessing only HMW-GS 17 + 18 at Glu-B1, the stability of the tortillas were, however, maintained and improved as compared to the parent lines containing a full compliment of HMW-GS. Thus, the presence of subunits 5 + 10 at Glu-D1 alone or in combination with subunit 1 at Glu-A1 appears to provide a compromise of improvement in dough extensibility for improved tortilla diameters while also providing sufficient gluten strength to maintain ideal shelf stability.

BACKGROUND: High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs) play a critical role in determining the viscoelastic properties of wheat. Mutations induced by ion beam radiation have been applied to improve the yield and quality of crop. In this study, HMW-GS-deficient mutant lines were selected and the effects of Glu-1 loci deletion on wheat quality properties were illustrated according to the analysis of dry seeds of common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Xiaoyan 81 treated with a nitrogen ion beam. RESULTS: Three HMW-GS-deficient mutant lines were obtained and then detected by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Large-chromosome-fragment deletion resulted in specific deficiencies, and the deleted region sizes were determined using molecular markers. Agronomic characters, quantity and proportion of glutenins and dough microstructure of the deletion lines all proved to be quite different from those of wild-type Xiaoyan 81. Analysis of quality properties suggested that GluA1(-) had superior property parameters, while GluB1(-) and GluD1(-) both showed a significant decrease in quality properties compared with Xiaoyan 81. CONCLUSION: The effects of the three Glu-1 loci on flour and dough quality-related parameters should be Glu-D1 > Glu-B1 > Glu-A1. Ion beam radiation can be used as a mutagen to create new crop mutants.

籽粒硬度是最重要的小麦品质性状之一，是市场分级和定价的重要依据。随着硬度测试方法的日趋完善，其分子遗传基础的研究逐步加快。硬度主要受位于5D染色体短臂上一个主效基因和多个微效基因控制，Pina和Pinb是形成小麦籽粒硬度的基础。PINA蛋白的缺失或编码PINB蛋白的基因突变均造成小麦胚乳质地变硬。中国目前该项研究较少，与国外相比仍有很大差距，本文着重阐述了小麦胚乳结构及硬度的生化和遗传基础，旨在为我国小麦籽粒硬度的研究提供理论依据。

BACKGROUND: DAYSLEEPER is a domesticated transposase that is essential for development in Arabidopsis thaliana [Nature, 436:282-284, 2005]. It is derived from a hAT-superfamily transposon and contains many of the features found in the coding sequence of these elements [Nature, 436:282-284, 2005, Genetics, 158:949-957, 2001]. This work sheds light on the expression of this gene and localization of its product in protoplasts and in planta. Using deletion constructs, important domains in the protein were identified. RESULTS: DAYSLEEPER is predominantly expressed in meristems, developing flowers and siliques. The protein is mainly localized in the nucleus, but can also be seen in discrete foci in the cytoplasm. Using several vesicular markers, we found that these foci belong to vesicular structures of the trans-golgi network, multivesicular bodies (MVB's) and late endosomes. The central region as well as both the N- and the C-terminus are essential to DAYSLEEPER function, since versions of DAYSLEEPER deleted for these regions are not able to complement the daysleeper phenotype. Like hAT-transposases, we show that DAYSLEEPER has a functionally conserved dimerization domain [J Biol Chem, 282:7563-7575, 2007]. CONCLUSIONS: DAYSLEEPER has retained the global structure of hAT transposases and it seems that most of these conserved features are essential to DAYSLEEPER's cellular function. Although structurally similar, DAYSLEEPER seems to have broadened its range of action beyond the nucleus in comparison to transposases.

RESULTSAlthough similar in protein content (134-140 mg g(-1)), gluten composition and dough properties differed widely among the lines. Compared with non-deletion lines, deletion lines had lower (P CONCLUSIONDeletion at Glu-B1y and/or Glu-D1y loci in high-strength hard wheat produced good dough properties for steamed bread. This suggests that wheat functionality for steamed bread can be improved by manipulating HMW-GS composition. (c) 2014 Society of Chemical Industry]]>