Null Mutation in Puroindoline A is Prevalent in Indian Wheats: Puroindoline Genes are Located in The Distal Part of 5DS

PCR amplification and protein analysis of pinA and pinB, the two components of friabilin, a marker protein for grain softness, were carried out in one hundred varieties from India and forty varieties from Kansas State, USA. Glycine to serine change in pinB or null mutation in pinA (absence of gene) has been reported linked with grain hardness. Here we report that majority of Kansas State hard wheats possess glycine to serine mutation in pinB and few have null mutation in pinA. In contrast, majority of varieties released in India are hard and have null mutation in pinA.There are some exceptions where some hard wheats in India do not exhibit either null mutation in pinA or glycine to serine change in pinB.There might be some additional mutations that are to be characterised in elucidating the molecular basis of hardness for usage in genetic engineering. PinA and pinB genes have been assigned on the distal part of 5D short arm using deletion lines of Chinese spring wheat where hardness gene Ha is reported to be present.