Revealing Hereditary Variation of Winter Hardiness in Cereals

A set of cereal crops and differentiating cultivars was shown to be of utility for identifying the major abiotic factors that limit the survival of winter crops in the cold season of a particular year. With this approach, the season was identified (1997–1998, Belgorod) when the survival of cereals depended on the tolerance to anaerobiosis rather than on the frost resistance. Differentiation of common wheat cultivars with respect to this property was attributed to a locus designated Win1 (Winter hardiness 1) and localized 3.2–5.8% recombination away from the B1 (awnlessness 1) gene. Winter barley (cultivar Odesskii 165) displayed the highest tolerance to anaerobiosis in the cold season; low and intermediate tolerance was established for winter durum wheat (cultivar Alyi Parus) and winter common wheat, respectively. Frost resistance and winter hardiness type 1 proved to be determined by different genetic systems, which showed no statistical association. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations of frost resistance in the field (1996–1997, Belgorod) with productivity, sedimentation index (Zeleny test), plant height, and vegetation period in wheat. Statistical analysis associated frost resistance with gliadin-coding alleles of homeologous chromosomes 1 and 6 of the A, B, and D wheat genomes.     

Genetic control of protein synthesis in white lupine (Lupinus albus L.) seeds

Using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis in the glycine-acetic acid system (pH 3.2), variants of proteins of white-lupine seeds were revealed. The study of conglutin polymorphism in the culture of the autogamous population F_→∞ (var. Dega) revealed two loci, Con A and Con B, which control protein synthesis. The loci were situated in the same linkage group within a distance of 11.48 ± 3.4% of recombination. Natural selection in favor of genotypes that contain Con A1 and Con B2 alleles is proposed. It is established that conglutins A and B (CON A and CON B) contain cysteine residues, which form intermolecular disulfide bonds between peptides.     

Selective value and gene geography of the alleles of Barley beta- amylase locus Bmy1

Polymorphism for locus Bmy 1 was studied in 406 cultivars of spring barley, 189 of which were regionalized in the former Soviet Union between 1929 and 1990. Three alleles were detected: Bmy 1 Ar, Bmy 1 Br, and Bmy 1 Al. The frequencies of these alleles were 35.59, 60.46, and 3.45%, respectively. In contrast to Bmy 1 Ar, the allele Bmy 1 Br was shown to correlate with an increase in the amylolytic activity of malt. Barley plants differing in the Bmy 1 alleles were found to differ in seed productivity. Allele Bmy 1 Ar was shown to prevail in cultivars from the northern regions of the former Soviet Union, in which its frequency exceeds 50%. Toward the south, its frequency gradually decreases to 14-17%. Conversely, the frequency of allele Bmy 1 Br increases from 38.6% (north) to 85.7% (south). The pattern of allele distribution depends on the following factors: temperature pattern during the growing season, moisture supply, and climate continentality.     

Use of the common winter wheat homozygous population for genetic analysis of beta-amylase and evaluation of its aggregation ability

We investigated a self-pollinated homozygous population of common winter wheat, F→∞ 24/04 × Odesskaya krasnokolosaya, for variants of beta-amylase and the aggregation ability of the protein complex of seed via disulfide bonds. It was found that variation in the electrophoretic types of this enzyme was due to four isoenzymes. Two of them (a and b) are doubled and controlled by separate loci with independent inheritance. Isoenzyme c was due to three dominant factors, and four loci were responsible for d. Analysis of the number of -S-S- bonds of five genotypes, which were harvested in 2013 and differed in the types of beta-amylase, showed that some of them were significantly different from others in this indicator. In general, the samples were grouped by the type of this enzyme, forming the following continuous series with respect to aggregation ability: I ≥ B ≥ F ≥ D ≥ G or 59.13 ± 3.18 ≥ 56.65 ± 2.46 ≥ 52.54 ± 2.24 ≥ 50.16 ± 1.67 ≥ 48.63 ± 6.25 of cond. units. Significant differences were observed for this property between groups B > D and I > D. Therefore, genotypes having types I and B have a positive influence on the rheological properties of dough.     

Specific aspects of detection of peroxidase isozymes and their genetic control in barley

Identical specimens were separated by electrophoresis in two gels to detect and fix peroxidase isozymes. Both gels were stained by Coomassie brilliant blue for detecting proteins. One gel was previously incubated for detecting peroxidase activity. The differences in electrophoretic patterns between the gels indicate the zones of peroxidase activity. It has been shown that locus Prx 6H, controlling a low-mobility grain peroxidase (PRX 6H), is localized to barley chromosome 6. Two loci, Alb 4H and Alb 7H, controlling the biosyntheses of water-soluble proteins of barley endosperm, were localized to chromosomes 4 and 7. It has been demonstrated that barley species is polymorphic at multiple molecular forms of peroxidase.     

Genetic control of several alpha-amylase isozymes in winter hexaploid wheat

alpha-Amylase isozymes were detected via electrophoretic separation in a Tris-glycine polyacrylamide gel system (pH 8.4). Three chromosome 6B loci controlling the alpha-amylase isozyme composition were identified by studying the grain alpha-amylase patterns in an F --> infinity self-pollinating population of winter common wheat (Donskoi Mayak). The loci were found to take the following order in the long arm of chromosome 6B: cen.-alpha-Amy-B3-alpha-Amy-B6-alpha-Amy-B1-.     

Genetic control of several α-amylase isozymes in winter hexaploid wheat

α-Amylase isozymes were detected via electrophoretic separation in a Tris-glycine polyacrylamide gel system (pH 8.4). Three chromosome 6B loci controlling the α-amylase isozyme composition were identified by studying the grain α-amylase patterns in an F_→∞ self-pollinating population of winter common wheat (Donskoi Mayak). The loci were found to take the following order in the long arm of chromosome 6B: cen. cen.—α-Amy-B3—α-Amy-B6—α-Amy-B1     

Revealing hereditary variation of winter hardiness in cereals

A set of cereal crops and differentiating cultivars was shown to be of utility for identifying the major abiotic factors that limit the survival of winter crops in the cold season of a particular year. With this approach, the season was identified (1997-1998, Belgorod) when the survival of cereals depended on the tolerance to anaerobiosis rather than on the frost resistance. Differentiation of common wheat cultivars with respect to this property was attributed to a locus designated Win1 (Winter hardiness 1) and localized 3.2-5.8% recombination away from the B1 (awnlessness) gene. Winter barley (cultivar Odesskii 165) displayed the highest tolerance to anaerobiosis in the cold season; low and intermediate tolerance was established for winter durum wheat (cultivar Alyi Parus) and winter common wheat, respectively. Frost resistance and winter hardiness type 1 proved to be determined by different genetic systems, which showed no statistical association. Correlation analysis revealed significant positive associations of frost resistance in the field (1996-1997, Belgorod) with productivity, sedimentation index, plant height, and vegetation period in wheat. Statistical analysis associated frost resistance with gliadin-coding alleles of homeologous chromosomes 1 and 6 of the A, B, and D wheat genomes.     

Distribution of alpha-amylase isozymes among the varieties of winter wheat in Russia and Ukraine

A catalog of winter wheat varieties bred in Russia and Ukraine for alpha-amylase isozymes is presented. Among them, 11 phenotypic classes were found. It was established that the observed differences in the frequency of specific phenotypes for alpha-amylase in the culture of winter wheat depended on the geographical origin. The percentage of the most widespread cultural phenotype, designated as AbCde, decreased from the south (45°–46° N) to the north (49°–50° N) by 31.0%. At the same time, the frequency of the abCde variant increased by 25.0%. The distribution of the Abcde phenotype changed significantly from 20.7% in the west (30o36′ E) to 0% in the east (40o18′ E). The observed territorial dynamics for alpha-amylase isoenzymes may indicate the adaptive value of the identified phenotypes of common winter wheat for the weather and climatic conditions of the region of their origin.     

The β-amylase polymorphism of winter common wheat grains

The polymorphism of winter common wheat with respect to β-amylase isoenzymes has been analyzed using electrophoresis in polyacrylamide gel (PAAG) buffered with a Tris-glycine system (pH 8.3). Seven β-amylase isoenzymes have been found in wheat cultivars and the breeding stock. Isoenzymes A, B, and C are the most frequent in Russian and Ukrainian cultivars (51.7 4.7, 30.7 3.8, and 11.9 2.5%, respectively). Two alleles of the β-Amy-D1 locus of the long arm of chromosome 4D have been identified. The substrate-enzyme affine effect can be used to locate the zones of activity of this enzyme by means of staining for proteins. It has been determined that β-amylase zymotypes may play a role in the aggregating capacity of the grain protein complex via the formation of S-S bonds.