Allelic Variation of Glu-A1 and Glu-B1 Genes in Winter Durum Wheat and Its Effect on Quality Parameters.

Winter durum wheat is a relatively young crop that is highly adaptable due to its winter type of growth habit. The priority of breeding and genetic improvement of winter durum wheat is to improve grain quality and pasta quality, largely determined by the glutenin storage proteins. In the present study, a collection of 76 accessions of winter durum wheat from P.P. Lukyanenko National Grain Centre was studied. The allelic state of high-molecular-weight glutenin genes, Glu-A1 and Glu-B1, using PCR markers and SDS-PAGE was identified and grain and pasta quality traits were assessed in a two-year field experiment. The positive effect of the Glu-A1a allele and a negative effect of Glu-A1c on the gluten index were shown. It was found that Glu-B1al and Glu-B1f have a positive effect on the quality and quantity of protein and gluten, while the Glu-A1c + Glu-B1al genotypes were closest to the high-quality category in protein-associated quality traits.

Compensatory Effect of the ScGrf3-2R Gene in Semi-Dwarf Spring Triticale (x Triticosecale Wittmack).

The dwarfness in many triticale cultivars is provided by the dominant Ddw1 (Dominant dwarf 1) allele found in rye. However, along with conferring semi-dwarf phenotype to improve resistance to lodging, this gene also reduces grain size and weight and delays heading and flowering. Grf (Growth-regulating factors) genes are plant-specific transcription factors that regulate plant growth, including stem growth, in terms of length and thickness, and leaf and fruit size. In this work, we partially sequenced the rye gene ScGrf3 on chromosome 2R homologous to the wheat Grf3 gene, and found multiple polymorphisms in intron 3 and exon 4 complying with two alternative alleles (haplotypes ScGrf3-2Ra and ScGrf3-2Rb). For the identification of these, we developed a codominant PCR marker. Using a new marker, we studied the effect of ScGrf3-2R alleles in combination with the Ddw1 dwarf gene on economically valuable traits in F4 and F5 recombinant lines of spring triticale from the hybrid combination Valentin 90 x Dublet, grown in the Non-Chernozem zone for 2 years. Allele ScGrf3-2Ra was associated with greater thousand-grain weight, higher spike productivity, and earlier heading and flowering, which makes ScGrf3-2R a perspective compensator for negative effects of Ddw1 on these traits and increases prospects for its involvement in breeding semi-dwarf cultivars of triticale.