High-molecular-weight glutenin subunit composition of Pakistani hard white spring wheats grown at three locations for 2 years and its relationship with end-use quality characteristics

Abstract

Eleven Pakistani hard white spring wheat cultivars, along with one durum wheat and two hard white American-grown wheat cultivars, were evaluated for their high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunit composition via sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). The relationships among different quality characteristics and between these characteristics and HMW glutenin subunits were computed. Three to six HMW glutenin subunits were observed in Pakistani bread wheat cultivars. The presence of HMW glutenin subunits was not affected by growth locations or crop years. However, variations in intensities were observed. Correlations were noticed between certain HMW glutenin subunits and some quality attributes, such as protein, farinograph dough development time, farinograph water absorption, loaf volume and mixograph peak height. The presence of HMW glutenin subunit 20 in the older wheat cultivars C591 and C273, known for excellent chapati quality, indicated a possible relationship between this band and chapati quality. This observation will need to be confirmed by testing a larger number of wheat samples known to have characteristics for both good and poor chapati quality. © 2000 Society of Chemical Industry