Evaluation of genetic variation in high molecular weight glutenin subunits of seed storage protein using landraces of common wheat from Pakistan

Abstract

SDS-PAGE was used to determine the variation in high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) alleles present in 170 landraces of common wheat from Sindh, Balochistan and NWFP in Pakistan. Three alleles for Glu-A1, six alleles for Glu-B1 and four alleles for Glu-D1 were detected. These included three new alleles, namely Glu-B1e, Glu-B1h and Glu-D1n, which had not previously been found in landraces of Pakistani wheat. Furthermore, Glu-D1m and Glu-D1n, which are considered to be endemic alleles in Pakistan and Afghanistan, were both detected from Balochistan. Twenty genotypes were identified based on combinations of alleles at the three Glu-1 loci. The present study showed that Pakistani landraces of common wheat have maintained a broad diversity of HMW-GS alleles, and that they may serve as genetic resources to improve wheat varieties adapted to Pakistani climatic and edaphic conditions.