Enriching LMW‑GS alleles and strengthening gluten properties of common wheat through wide hybridization with wild emmer

https://doi.org/10.1007/s13205-019-1887-1

Lan Xiang1,2 · Lin Huang2 · Fangyi Gong2 · Jia Liu2 · Yufan Wang2 · Yarong Jin2 · Yu He2 · Jingshu He2 ·

Qiantao Jiang1,2,3 · Youliang Zheng1,2,3 · Dengcai Liu1,2,3 · Bihua Wu1,2,3

Abstract

Two advanced lines (BAd7-209 and BAd7-213) with identical high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit composition were obtained via wide hybridization between low-gluten cultivar chuannong16 (CN16) and wild emmer D97 (D97). BAd7-209 was better than BAd7-213, and both of them were much better than CN16 in a dough quality test. We found that BAd7-209 had more abundant and higher expression levels of low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) proteins than those of BAd7-213. Twenty-nine novel LMW-GS genes at Glu-A3 locus were isolated from BAd7-209, BAd7-213 and their parents. We found that all 29 LMW-GS genes possessed the same primary structure shared by other known LMW-GSs. Twenty-seven genes encode LMW-m-type subunits, and two encode LMW-i-type subunits. BAd7-209 had a higher number of LMW-GS genes than BAd7-213, CN16, and D97. Two wild emmer genes MG574329 and MG574330 were present in the two advanced lines. Most of the LMW-m-type genes showed minor nucleotide variations between wide hybrids and their parents that could be induced through the wide hybridization process. Our results demonstrated that the wild emmer LMW-GS alleles could be feasibly transferred and integrated into common wheat background via wide hybridization and the potential value of the wild emmer LMW-GS alleles in breeding programs designed to improve wheat flour quality.

Keywords: Wild emmer wheat · Wide hybridization · LMW-GS alleles · Flour quality