Chromosomal control of glutenin subunits in aneuploid lines of wheat: analysis by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography

Summary Glutenin subunits from nullisomic-tetrasomic and ditelocentric lines of the hexaploid wheat variety ‘Chinese Spring’ (CS) and from substitution lines of the durum wheat variety ‘Langdon’ were fractionated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC) at 70 °C using a gradient of acetonitrile in the presence of 0.1% trifluoroacetic acid. Nineteen subunits were detected in CS. The presence and amounts of four early-eluted subunits were found, through aneuploid analysis, to be controlled by the long arms of chromosomes 1D (1DL) (peaks 1–2) and 1B (1BL) (peaks 3–4). Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis showed that these four subunits are the high molecular weight subunits of glutenin, which elute in the order 1Dy, 1Dx, 1By, and 1Bx. Similar amounts of 1DL subunits were present (6.3 and 8.8% of total glutenin), but 1BL subunits differed more in abundance (5.4 and 9.5%, respectively). Results indicate that most late-eluting CS glutenin subunits were coded by structural genes on the short arms of homoeologous group 1 chromosomes: 6 by 1DS, 5 by 1AS, and 4 by 1BS. Glutenin of tetraploid ‘Langdon’ durum wheat separated into nine major subunits: 6 were coded by genes on 1B chromosomes, and 3 on 1A chromosomes. Gene locations for glutenin subunits in the tetraploid durum varieties ‘Edmore’ and ‘Kharkovskaya-5’ are also given. These results should make RP-HPLC a powerful tool for qualitative and quantitative genetic studies of wheat glutenin. The mention of firm names or trade products does not imply that they are endorsed or recommended by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over other firms or similar products not mentioned Stationed at the Northern Regional Research Center, Peoria.     

Genetic control of endosperm proteins in wheat

Summary Total endosperm proteins extracted from both several common wheat cultivars and some intervarietal substitution lines derived from them were fractionated according to their molecular weight in a high resolution one-dimensional gel electrophoresis. The four donor cultivars and the recipient one — Chinese Spring, possessed differentially migrating protein bands in the fractions of high molecular weight (HMW) glutenins and gliadins. Several of these bands were identified for the first time in this study. By utilizing intervarietal substitution lines the control of the HMW glutenins and gliadins by chromosomes of homoeologous group 1 was either reaffirmed or, for the new bands, established. Several HMW gliadin subunits showed a considerable variation in their staining intensity in the intervarietal substitution lines indicating that their expression was dependent on the genetic background.This paper is based on a portion of a dissertation to be submitted by G. Galili in partial fulfilment of the Ph.D. requirements of the Feinberg Graduate School, The Weizmann Institute of Science, RehovotThe Marshall and Edith Korshak Professor of Plant Cytogenetics     

Genetic variability for heat shock proteins in common wheat

Summary The response of the common wheat line Chinese Spring to heat shocks of different time lengths was studied by the two-dimensional (2D) electrophoresis of denatured proteins. After a heat shock of 5 h, 33 heat shock proteins (HSPs) accumulated in an amount sufficient to be revealed by silver stain. Two other wheat lines (Moisson and Selkirk) were then submitted to a heat shock of 5 h, and the responses of the 3 lines were compared: of a total of 35 HSPs, 13 (37.1%) were quantitatively or qualitatively variable. This variability concerns low-molecular-weight and high-molecular-weight HSPs. The three genotypes showed thermal tolerance but Chinese Spring's response to heat treatments was slightly different from those of the other two lines The possibility of a relationship between HSP patterns and thermal sensitivity is discussed.     

Linkage mapping of genes controlling endosperm storage proteins in wheat

Summary A translocation mapping procedure was used to map gene-centromere distances for the genes controlling endosperm proteins on the short arm of each of the chromosomes 1A, 1B and 1D in wheat. The genes controlling triplet proteins (tentatively designated Tri-1) were found to be closely linked to the centromere on chromosome arms 1AS and 1DS and loosely linked to the gliadin genes (Gli-1) on the same arms. The Gli-1 genes segregated independently or were very loosely linked to their respective centromeres. The Gli-B1-centromere map distance on 1BS was also estimated using conventional telocentric mapping and the result was similar to that obtained with the translocation mapping. A simple two-step one-dimensional electrophoretic procedure is described which allows the low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutenin subunits to be separated from the gliadin bands, thus facilitating the genetic analysis of these LMW subunits. No recombination was observed between the genes (designated Glu-3) controlling some major LMW glutenin subunits and those controlling gliadins on chromosome arms 1AS and 1DS. However, in a separate experiment, the genes controlling LMW glutenin subunits on 1BS (Glu-B3) showed a low frequency of recombination with the gliadin genes.Portion of the Ph.D. thesis submitted by the senior author     

Variation and classification of B low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit alleles in durum wheat

 The B low-molecular-weight (LMW) glutenin subunit composition of a collection of 88 durum wheat cultivars was analyzed. Extensive variation has been found and 18 different patterns were detected. Each cultivar exhibited 4–8 subunits, and altogether 20 subunits of different mobility were identified. The genetic control of all these subunits was determined through the analysis of nine F₂ populations and one backcross. Five subunits were controlled at the Glu-A3 locus, 14 at Glu-B3 and 1 at Glu-B2. At the Glu-A3 locus each cultivar possessed from zero to three bands and eight alleles were identified. At the Glu-B3 locus each cultivar showed four or five bands and nine alleles were detected. Only one band was encoded by the Glu-B2 locus. A nomenclature for these alleles is proposed and the relationship between them and the commonly used LMW-model nomenclature is discussed. Received: 10 February 1997 / Accepted: 25 April 1997     

Expression of individual HMW glutenin subunit genes of wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) in relation to differences in the number and type of homoeologous subunits and differences in genetic background

The amount of individual high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits of bread-wheat has been studied in relation to variation at homoeologous loci and in the general genetic background. The relationships between Glu-1 loci have been studied using nearisogenic lines (NILs) of the variety Sicco and in the progenies of two crosses. Substitution of the Sicco Glu-D1 allele by a null-allele resulted in higher amounts of the homoeologous subunits. The presence of a Glu-A1 nullallele did not have a noticeable effect on the amounts of homoeologous subunits. In three out of four NILs and in the sister-lines of two crosses, the amounts of HMW-subunits did not depend on the allele make-up at homoeologous loci. Only in the NIL which contains the Glu-D1 allele, encoding subunits 1Dx2.2 and 1Dy12, was the amount of homoeologous subunits lower than the amount of these subunits in Sicco. This study suggests a relation between the amount of HMW-subunits encoded by an allele and its contribution to bread-making quality. The effect of genetic background has been studied using F4 and F5 lines of two crosses. The total amounts of subunits, relative to the total amount of kernel proteins, showed a considerable variation between lines. The ratio between individual subunits did not differ between genetic backgrounds. Because this ratio is also largely independent of differences in environmental conditions, it is concluded that the relative amount of a subunit is a valuable measure for the detection of genetically-determined differences in the expression of HMW-subunit genes.     

Identification of new low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit genes in wheat

To clarify the composition of low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) in a soft wheat cultivar, we cloned and characterized LMW-GS genes from a cDNA library and genomic DNA in Norin 61. Based on alignment of the conserved N- and C- terminal domains of the deduced amino-acid sequences, these genes are classified into 12 groups. One of these groups (group 5), the corresponding gene of which has not been reported previously, contains two additional hydrophobic amino-acid clusters interrupting the N-terminal repetitive domain. Other groups (groups 11 and 12), which were not identified in other cultivars as a protein product, showed all eight cysteines in the C-terminal conserved domain. With specific primer sets for these groups it was revealed that Glu-D3 and Glu-A3 encoded the former and the latter, respectively. Both groups of genes were expressed in immature seeds. The presence of these groups of LMW-GSs may affect the dough strength of soft wheat. Received: 26 March 2001 / Accepted: 16 July 2001     

Electrophoretic profiles and amino acid composition of rice endosperm proteins of a mutant with enhanced lysine and total protein after backcrosses for germplasm improvements

 Seed storage proteins from in vitro-derived rice mutants improved by several backcrosses to ‘Calrose 76’ and BC₂ and BC₃ were characterized for changes in five different solubility classes. Albumins, rsealb (water-soluble globulins), true salt-soluble globulins, prolamins and glutelins were SDS-PAGE separated in a single dimension, and some two-dimensionally, to identify protein modifications. The genetic transmission of the enhanced-lysine mutants in backcrosses and the linkage of lysine with grain chalkiness were confirmed. Advanced lines had altered globulin profiles similar to those of unimproved lines. Chalky/ enhanced-lysine phenotypes had similar prolamin and glutelin profiles in the mutant and controls at the same protein level. Mutants had increased levels of globulins at 50 kDa and 33 kDa but had substantially less protein at 25 kDa than the controls. High protein in the mutant contributed to an increase in prolamins and the major storage proteins in both the globulins and glutelins. A significant decrease in low-molecular-weight, 15- to 18-kDa albumins was associated with the chalky/enhanced-lysine mutant phenotype. Two proteins in the 15- to 18-kDa group were amino acid sequenced, and database comparisons identified these proteins as allergens. Advanced lines downregulated for allergens and with enhanced-lysine/protein but with normal fertility and seed weight should be useful in breeding programs for nutritional quality. Received: 14 October 1996 / Accepted: 8 November 1996     

Genetic control of seed proteins in wheat

Summary Electrophoretic profiles of crude protein extracts from seed of F₁ hybrids and reciprocal crosses among diploid, tetraploid and hexaploid wheats were compared with those of their respective parental species. The electrophoretic patterns within each of three pairs of reciprocal crosses, T.boeoticum X T.urartu, T.monococcun X T. urartu and T.dicoccum X T. araraticum, were different from one another but were identical with those of their respective maternal parents. Protein bands characteristic of the paternal parents were missing in F₁ hybrid seed suggesting that the major seed proteins in wheat were presumably regulated by genotype of the maternal parent rather than by the seed genotype. However, in another three pairs of reciprocal crosses, T.boeoticum X T. durum, T.dicoccum X T.aestivum and T. zhukovskyi x T. aestivum, protein bands attributable to the paternal parents were present in the F₁ hybrid seeds indicating that the seed proteins were not always exclusively regulated by the maternal genotype. The expression of paternal genomes is presumably determined by dosage and genetic affinity of the maternal and paternal genomes in the hybrid endosperm. The maternal regulation of seed protein content is probably accomplished through the maternal control over seed size. The seed protein quality may, however, depend upon the extent of expression of the paternal genome.     

Effects of an Agropyron chromosome on endosperm proteins in common wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)

An Agropyron chromosome having a gene conferring blue color on the aleurone layer of the kernel endosperm causes a 15% increase in total grain protein content when it is added to the common wheat (2n=42) complement. In contrast, there is no effect of this chromosome on total protein content if it replaced part of a wheat chromosome. Endosperm protein components of isolines having blue aleurone due to the Agropyron chromosome being added (2n=44) or translocated (2n=42) were compared to normal nonblue isoline counterparts. Gliadin proteins separated by aluminum lactate (pH 3.2) polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) in one or two dimensions showed greater staining intensity for the blue addition isolines (2n=44) than nonblue (2n=42) isolines. However, the 42-chromosome blue isoline did not show increased protein staining over the nonblue isoline, but at least five protein differences were detected between the lines. SDS-PAGE showed that blue and nonblue differences were expressed primarily in the gliadins, but also in the glutenin, globulin, and albumin proteins.This research was supported by a D. F. Jones Postdoctoral Fellowship to K. M. Soliman and by Western Regional Project W-132, Genotype-environment interactions related to end-product uses in small grains.     

A 1B-coded low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit associated with quality in durum wheats shows strong similarity to a subunit present in some bread wheat cultivars

Received: 25 May 1999 / Accepted: 22 June 1999     

Identification of a transposon-like insertion in a Glu-1 allele of wheat

Summary The Glu-1 locus, present on the long arms of the group 1 chromosomes of wheat, codes for a group of storage protein polypeptides termed high molecular weight (HMW) subunits of glutenin. Hexaploid wheat varieties carry a silent Glu-1y allele on chromosome 1A, no polypeptide being attributable to this locus. When two such alleles from different varieties were compared, one was found to contain an 8 kb insertion of DNA, termed Wis-2, interrupting the coding sequence. The insertion site is flanked by a 5 bp duplication. The two ends of Wis-2 contain similar sequences over 500 bp long and its termini contain almost the same short sequences but in opposite orientation. These terminal sequences are related to those of several retroposon-type transposable elements found in other organisms.     

Detection of early pregnancy-specific proteins in Holstein milk

Bovine pregnancy is commonly diagnosed by rectal palpation or ultrasonography and changes in progesterone concentration. To determine a simpler and less expensive diagnostic method, we sought to identify early pregnancy-specific proteins in bovine milk by comparing samples collected from pregnant and non-pregnant Holstein cattle. Of the 600-700 protein spots visible on 2-DE gel images, 39 were differentially expressed in milk from pregnant and non-pregnant cattle. Antibodies generated against synthetic peptides of milk whey proteins expressed specifically during pregnancy were used to confirm protein expression patterns. Western blot analysis showed that the levels of expression of lactoferrin (lactotransferrin) and alpha1G T-type calcium channel subunit (alpha-1G) were higher in samples from pregnant than non-pregnant cattle. These findings suggest that assays for pregnancy-specific milk proteins may be used to diagnose pregnancy in cattle.     

Synthesis and degradation of proteins during wheat endosperm development

Synthesis of proteins rich in lysine declines progressively with endosperm development and these proteins appear to be degraded preferentially at later stages. The proteolytic enzymes in extracts of endosperms at a late stage of development release considerably more lysine radioactivity from labelled endosperm proteins as compared with the enzymes in endosperms at an early stage.     

Chromosomal assignment of genes controlling salt-soluble proteins (albumins and globulins) in wheat and related species

Summary Salt-soluble proteins from the endosperms of wheat, barley, and rye have been separated by nonequilibrium electrofocusing x electrophoresis. Genes encoding 14 of the 25 components observed in wheat have been unambiguously assigned to 10 different chromosomes (1B, 3B, 3D, 4A, 4D, 5B, 6B, 6D, 7B, 7D) by analysis of the compensated nulli-tetrasomic series. Five more wheat proteins seem to be controlled by group 2 chromosomes. Analysis of wheat-barley and wheat-rye addition lines has led to the location of genes for 6 out of 20 barley proteins in 4 different chromosomes (1H, 3H, 4H, 6H; 1H is homoeologous to group 7 chromosomes of wheat) and of genes for 5 out of 20 rye proteins in two different chromosomes (2R, 4R). The relationship between the proteins reported here and previously characterized ones is discussed.     

The low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit proteins of primitive wheats. IV. Functional properties of products from individual genes

 Three genes encoding the low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs), LMWG-E2 and LMWG-E4, from A-genome diploid wheat species, and LMW-16/10 from a D-genome diploid wheat, were expressed in bacteria. The respective proteins were produced on a relatively large scale and compared with respect to their effects on flour-processing properties such as dough mixing, extensibility and maximum resistance; these are important features in the end-use of wheat for producing food products. The LMWG-E2 and LMWG-E4 proteins caused significant increases in peak resistance and mixing time, compared to the control, when incorporated into dough preparations. The LMWG-16/10 protein was qualitatively less effective in producing these changes. All three proteins also conferred varying degrees of decrease in dough breakdown. LMWG-E2 and LMWG-E4 caused significant increases in dough extensibility, and decreases in maximum resistance, relative to the control. LMW-16/10 did not show a significant effect on extensibility but showed a significant decrease in maximum resistance. The refinement of relating specific features of the structure of the LMW-GS genes to the functional properties of their respective proteins is discussed. Received: 24 November 1997 / Accepted: 18 August 1998     

The genetic control of grain esterases in hexaploid wheat

Summary Analysis of grain esterase isozymes in Chinese Spring aneuploid genotypes by IEF confirmed that genes on the long arms of chromosomes 3A, 3B and 3D (Est-5) control the production of 19 isozymes. Allelic variants have been found for the isozyme pattern controlled by each chromosome. Segregational data involving null alleles and complex phenotypic differences indicate that the wheat grain esterases are encoded by three compound and probably homoeoallelic loci, each capable of producing at least six different isozymes. In a sample of 138 hexaploid genotypes, seven alleles were distinguished.     

Chromosome mapping and identification of amphiphilic proteins of hexaploid wheat kernels

Amphiphilic proteomic analysis was carried out on the ITMI (International Triticae Mapping Population) population resulting from a cross between "Synthetic", i.e.: "W7984" and "Opata". Out of a total of 446 spots, 170 were specific to either of the two parents, and 276 were common to both. Preliminary analysis, which was performed on 80 progenies (Amiour et al. 2002a), was completed here using a total of 101 selfed lines. Seventy two Loci of amphiphilic spots placed at LOD = 5 were conclusively assigned to15 chromosomes. Some spots mapped during the first analysis were eliminated because of the significant distortion segregation observed in the second analysis. Group-1 chromosomes had by far the greatest number of mapped spots (51). Using the Quantitative Trait Loci (QTLs) approach, analysis of the quantitative variation of each spot revealed that 96 spots out of the 170 specific ones showed at least one Protein Quantity Locus (PQL). These PQLs were distributed throughout the genome. With Matrix Laser Desorption Ionisation Time Of Flight (MALDI-TOF) spectrometry and Database interrogation, a total of 93 specific and 41 common spots were identified. This enabled us to show that the majority of these proteins are associated with membranes and/or play a role in plant defence against external invasions. Using multiple-regression analysis, other amphiphilic proteins, in addition to puroindolines, were shown to be involved in variation in kernel hardness in the ITMI population.Communicated by J.W. Snape