Wheat End-use Quality Research Articles

SNP markers for low molecular glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) at the Glu-A3 and Glu-B3 loci in bread wheat.

The content and composition of seed storage proteins is largely responsible for wheat end-use quality. They mainly consist of polymeric glutenins and monomeric gliadins. According to their electrophoretic mobility, gliadins and glutenins are subdivided into several fractions. Glutenins are classified as high molecular weight or low molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs and LMW-GSs, respectively). LMW-GSs are encoded by multigene families located at the orthologous Glu-3 loci. We designed a set of 16 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers that are able to detect SDS-PAGE alleles at the Glu-A3 and Glu-B3 loci. The SNP markers captured the diversity of alleles in 88 international reference lines and 27 Mexican cultivars, when compared to SDS-PAGE and STS markers, however, showed a slightly larger percent of multiple alleles, mainly for Glu-B3. SNP markers were then used to determine the Glu-1 and Glu-3 allele composition in 54 CIMMYT historical lines and demonstrated to be useful tool for breeding programs to improve wheat end product properties.

Effect of wheat grain protein composition on end-use quality.

The quality of wheat products has been a new challenge next to wheat production which was achieved substantially during green revolution. The end-use quality of wheat is an essential factor for its commercial demand. The quality of wheat is largely based on the wheat storage proteins which extensively influences the dough properties. High molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMWGS), low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMWGS) and gliadins significantly influence the end-use quality. Genomics and proteomics study of these gluten proteins of bread and durum wheat have explored new avenues for precise identification of the alleles and their role in end-use quality improvement. Secalin protein of Secale cereale encoded by Sec-1 loci and isassociated with 1RS.1BL translocation has been known for deterioration of end-use quality. Chromosomal manipulations using various approaches have led to the development of new recombinant lines of wheat without secalin. Advanced techniques associated with assessment of end-use quality have integrated the knowledge of useful or deteriorating HMWGS/LMWGS alleles and their potential role in end-use quality. This review gives a comprehensive insight of different aspects of the end-use quality perspective for bread making in wheat along with some information on the immunological interference of gluten in celiac disease.

Improving grain yield, stress resilience and quality of bread wheat using large-scale genomics.

Bread wheat improvement using genomic tools is essential for accelerating trait genetic gains. Here we report the genomic predictabilities of 35 key traits and demonstrate the potential of genomic selection for wheat end-use quality. We also performed a large genome-wide association study that identified several significant marker-trait associations for 50 traits evaluated in South Asia, Africa and the Americas. Furthermore, we built a reference wheat genotype-phenotype map, explored allele frequency dynamics over time and fingerprinted 44,624 wheat lines for trait-associated markers, generating over 7.6 million data points, which together will provide a valuable resource to the wheat community for enhancing productivity and stress resilience.

Deciphering the Genetics of Major End-Use Quality Traits in Wheat.

Improving the end-use quality traits is one of the primary objectives in wheat breeding programs. In the current study, a population of 127 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between Glenn (PI-639273) and Traverse (PI-642780) was developed and used to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) for 16 end-use quality traits in wheat. The phenotyping of these 16 traits was performed in nine environments in North Dakota, USA. The genotyping for the RIL population was conducted using the wheat Illumina iSelect 90K SNP assay. A high-density genetic linkage map consisting of 7,963 SNP markers identified a total of 76 additive QTL (A-QTL) and 73 digenic epistatic QTL (DE-QTL) associated with these traits. Overall, 12 stable major A-QTL and three stable DE-QTL were identified for these traits, suggesting that both A-QTL and DE-QTL played an important role in controlling end-use quality traits in wheat. The most significant A-QTL (AQ.MMLPT.ndsu.1B) was detected on chromosome 1B for mixograph middle line peak time. The AQ.MMLPT.ndsu.1B A-QTL was located very close to the position of the Glu-B1 gene encoding for a subunit of high molecular weight glutenin and explained up to 24.43% of phenotypic variation for mixograph MID line peak time. A total of 23 co-localized QTL loci were detected, suggesting the possibility of the simultaneous improvement of the end-use quality traits through selection procedures in wheat breeding programs. Overall, the information provided in this study could be used in marker-assisted selection to increase selection efficiency and to improve the end-use quality in wheat.

Co-expression of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunit 1Ax1 and Puroindoline a (Pina) genes in transgenic durum wheat (Triticum turgidum ssp. durum) improves milling and pasting quality

BackgroundDurum wheat is considered not suitable for making many food products that bread wheat can. This limitation is largely due to: (i) lack of grain-hardness controlling genes (Puroindoline a and b) and consequently extremely-hard kernel; (ii) lack of high- and low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit loci (Glu-D1 and Glu-D3) that contribute to gluten strength. To improve food processing quality of durum wheat, we stacked transgenic Pina and HMW-glutenin subunit 1Ax1 in durum wheat and developed lines with medium-hard kernel texture.ResultsHere, we demonstrated that co-expression of Pina + 1Ax1 in durum wheat did not affect the milling performance that was enhanced by Pina expression. While stacking of Pina + 1Ax1 led to increased flour yield, finer flour particles and decreased starch damage compared to the control lines. Interestingly, Pina and 1Ax1 co-expression showed synergistic effects on the pasting attribute peak viscosity. Moreover, Pina and 1Ax1 co-expression suggests that PINA impacts gluten aggregation via interaction with gluten protein matrix.ConclusionsThe results herein may fill the gap of grain hardness between extremely-hard durum wheat and the soft kernel durum wheat, the latter of which has been developed recently. Our results may also serve as a proof of concept that stacking Puroindolines and other genes contributing to wheat end-use quality from the A and/or D genomes could improve the above-mentioned bottleneck traits of durum wheat and help to expand its culinary uses.

Comparison of starch physicochemical properties of wheat cultivars differing in bread- and noodle-making quality

Wheat cultivars that produce good-quality bread and noodles are important for the food industry and starch physicochemical properties greatly influence the reprocessing quality. In this study, six types of cultivars differing in bread and noodle quality were compared for starch characteristics and for future quality improvement. All six types exhibited significantly different starch physicochemical properties including starch components, amylopectin chain length distribution, granule size and distribution, pasting, swelling, and gelatinization. Most parameters investigated were significantly correlated with bread- and noodle-making performance, confirming significant effects of starch properties on wheat end-use quality. The ratio of amylopectin/amylose contents, proportion of amylopectin short chains (2 ≤ DP ≤ 10), amount of C-type starch granules, pasting peak viscosity and gelatinization conclusion temperature (Tc) were effective indicators for improvement of wheat processing quality, and cultivars with those parameters in ranges of 2.1–2.6, 47.8–51.0%, 36.2–46.7%, 2890–3450 cP, and 68.5–69.6 °C, respectively, would yield superior bread- and/or noodle-making quality.

Sequence Diversity and Identification of Novel Puroindoline and Grain Softness Protein Alleles in Elymus, Agropyron and Related Species

The puroindoline proteins, PINA and PINB, which are encoded by the Pina and Pinb genes located at the Ha locus on chromosome 5D of bread wheat, are considered to be the most important determinants of grain hardness. However, the recent identification of Pinb-2 genes on group 7 chromosomes has stressed the importance of considering the effects of related genes and proteins. Several species related to wheat (two diploid Agropyron spp., four tetraploid Elymus spp. and five hexaploid Elymus and Agropyron spp.) were therefore analyzed to identify novel variation in Pina, Pinb and Pinb-2 genes which could be exploited for the improvement of cultivated wheat. A novel sequence for the Pina gene was detected in Elymus burchan-buddae, Elymus dahuricus subsp. excelsus and Elymus nutans and novel PINB sequences in Elymus burchan-buddae, Elymus dahuricus subsp. excelsus, and Elymus nutans. A novel PINB-2 variant was also detected in Agropyron repens and Elymus repens. The encoded proteins detected all showed changes in the tryptophan-rich domain as well as changes in and/or deletions of basic and hydrophobic residues. In addition, two new AGP sequences were identified in Elymus nutans and Elymus wawawaiensis. The data presented therefore highlight the sequence diversity in this important gene family and the potential to exploit this diversity to modify grain texture and end-use quality in wheat.

Development of haplotype-specific molecular markers for the low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits

Low-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) are one of the major components of gluten, and their allelic variation has been widely associated with different wheat end-use quality parameters. These proteins are encoded by multigene families located at the orthologous Glu-3 loci (Glu-A3, Glu-B3, and Glu-D3); the genes at each locus are divided by large intergenic and highly recombinogenic regions. Among the methods used for the LMW-GS allele identification, polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based molecular markers have the advantages of being simple, accurate, and independent from the plant stage of development. However, the available LMW-GS molecular markers are either incapable of capturing the complexity of the LMW-GS gene family or difficult to interpret. In the present study, we report the development of a set of PCR-based molecular markers specific for the LMW-GS haplotypes present at each Glu-3 locus. Based on the LMW-GS gene sequences available in GenBank, single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) specific for each Glu-3 haplotype were identified and the relevant PCR primers were designed. In total, we developed three molecular markers for the Glu-A3 and Glu-B3 loci, respectively, and five molecular markers for the Glu-D3 locus. The markers were tested on 44 bread wheat varieties previously characterized for their LMW-GS genic profile and found to be equally or more efficient than previously developed LMW-GS PCR-based markers. This set of markers allows an easier and less ambiguous identification of specific LMW-GS haplotypes associated with gluten strength and can facilitate marker-assisted breeding for wheat quality.

Genetic dissection of interactions between wheat flour starch and its components in two populations using two QTL mapping methods

Starch content and its components are important for determining wheat end-use quality and yield. However, little information is available about their interactions at the QTL/gene level in more than one population using different QTL mapping methods. Therefore, to dissect these interactions, two mapping populations from two locations over 2 years were used. The QTLs for the populations were analyzed by unconditional and conditional QTL mapping by two different analysis methods. In the two populations, there were a total of 24 unconditional additive QTLs detected for flour amylose (FAMS), flour amylopectin (FAMP), flour total starch (FTSC), and the ratio of FAMS to FAMP using ICIMapping4.1 methods, but 26 unconditional QTLs were found using QTLNetwork2.0 methods. Of these QTLs, 10 stable major additive QTLs were identified in more than one environment, mainly distributed on chromosomes 3B, 4A, 5A, and 7D. The maximum percentage of phenotypic variance explained (PVE) reached 54.31%. Two new unconditional major additive QTLs on chromosome 3B (Qftsc3B and Qfamp3B) were found. A total of 23 and 19 conditional additive QTLs were identified in the two populations using two different methods, respectively. Of which, eight and six stable major conditional QTLs were detected on chromosomes 3B, 4A, and 7D, respectively. New repressed QTLs were identified, such as Qftsc/fams5B-1 and Qftsc/fams5B-2. There were 20 epistatic unconditional and 15 conditional QTLs detected. In all, important QTLs on chromosomes 3B, 4A, and 7A were found in both populations. However, the number of important QTLs in the special recombinant inbred line (RIL) population was higher than that in the double haploid (DH) population, especially on chromosomes 7D and 5B. Moreover, the QTLs on chromosomes 4A, 7A, and 7D were close to the Wx-1 loci in the RIL population. These indicated better results can be obtained by a special population to target traits than by a common population. The important QTLs on key chromosomes can always be detected no matter what kinds of populations are used, such as the QTLs on chromosome 4A. In addition, QTL clusters were found on chromosomes 4A, 3B, 7A, 7D, and 5A in the two populations, indicating these chromosome regions were very important for starch biosynthesis.

Allelic variation of low molecular weight glutenin subunits composition and the revealed genetic diversity in durum wheat (<i>Triticum turgidum</i> L. ssp. <i>durum</i> (Desf))

Low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS) play an important role in determining the bread-making characteristics of dough in the end-use quality of wheat. In this study, A total of 149 worldwide-originated durum wheat were used to analyze the composition of LMW-GS using MALDI-TOF-MS. Based on the allelic variation of glutenin subunits, the genetic diversity was evaluated for the 149 durum wheat. Five types of alleles were identified at the Glu-A3 locus with Glu-A3e, Glu-A3a/c, Glu-A3f, Glu-A3d and Glu-A3b accounting for 43.0%, 16.1%, 12.8%, 10.1% and 7.4 % of the accessions, respectively. Five types of alleles were identified at the Glu-B3 locus: Glu-B3d (60.4%), Glu-B3b (6.0%), Glu-B3c (6.0%), Glu-B3h (2.7%) and Glu-B3f (0.7%). Two novel alleles encoding abnormal subunits 40500 Da and 41260 Da were identified at the Glu-A3 and Glu-B3 loci, respectively. Further studies are needed to match these novel alleles to previously discovered novel alleles. Moreover, the genetic diversity analysis indicated that great genetic variation existed in durum wheat among encoding loci of glutenin subunits, released periods of varieties and different geographical origins. The results provide more important information of potential germplasm for the improvement of durum wheat and common wheat.

Functional Characterization of TaFUSCA3, a B3-Superfamily Transcription Factor Gene in the Wheat.

The end-use quality of wheat, including its unique rheology and viscoelastic properties, is predominantly determined by the composition and concentration of gluten proteins. While, the mechanism regulating expression of the seed storage protein (SSP) genes and other related genes in wheat remains unclear. In this study, we report on the cloning and functional identification of TaFUSCA3, a B3-superfamily transcription factor (TF) gene in wheat. Sequence alignment indicated that wheat and barley FUSCA3 genes are highly conserved. Quantitative reverse-transcription (qRT)-PCR analysis showed that the transcript of TaFUSCA3 was accumulated mostly in the stamens and the endosperms of immature wheat seeds. Yeast-one-hybrid results proved that the full-length TaFUSCA3 and its C-terminal region had transcriptional activities. Yeast-two-hybrid and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays indicated that TaFUSCA3 could activate the expression of the high molecular weight glutenin subunit gene Glu-1Bx7 and interact with the seed-specific bZIP protein TaSPA. DNA-protein-interaction enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated that TaFUSCA3 specifically recognizes the RY-box of the Glu-1Bx7 promoter region. Transient expression results showed that TaFUSCA3 could trans-activate the Glu-1Bx7 promoter, which contains eight RY-box sequences. TaFUSCA3 was unable to activate the downstream transcription when the RY-box was fully mutated. TaFUSCA3 could activate the transcription of the At2S3 gene promoter in a complementation of loss-of-function experiment using the Arabidopsis thaliana line fus3-3, which is a FUSCA3 mutant, demonstrating the evolutionary conservation of the TaFUSCA3 gene. In conclusion, the wheat B3-type TF, TaFUSCA3, is functional conserved between monocot and dicot, and could regulate SSP gene expression by interacting specifically with TaSPA.

Improved Method for Reliable HMW-GS Identification by RP-HPLC and SDS-PAGE in Common Wheat Cultivars.

The accurate identification of alleles for high-molecular weight glutenins (HMW-GS) is critical for wheat breeding programs targeting end-use quality. RP-HPLC methods were optimized for separation of HMW-GS, resulting in enhanced resolution of 1By and 1Dx subunits. Statistically significant differences in retention times (RTs) for subunits corresponding to HMW-GS alleles were determined using 16 standard wheat cultivars with known HMW-GS compositions. Subunits that were not identified unambiguously by RP-HPLC were distinguished by SDS-PAGE or inferred from association with linked subunits. The method was used to verify the allelic compositions of 32 Korean wheat cultivars previously determined using SDS-PAGE and to assess the compositions of six new Korean cultivars. Three cultivars contained subunits that were identified incorrectly in the earlier analysis. The improved RP-HPLC method combined with conventional SDS-PAGE provides for accurate, efficient and reliable identification of HMW-GS and will contribute to efforts to improve wheat end-use quality.

New insight into the function of wheat glutenin proteins as investigated with two series of genetic mutants

Among the three major food crops (rice, wheat and maize), wheat is unique in accumulating gluten proteins in its grains. Of these proteins, the high and low molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GSs and LMW-GSs) form glutenin macropolymers that are vital for the diverse end-uses of wheat grains. In this work, we developed a new series of deletion mutants lacking one or two of the three Glu-1 loci (Glu-A1, -B1 and -D1) specifying HMW-GSs. Comparative analysis of single and double deletion mutants reinforced the suggestion that Glu-D1 (encoding the HMW-GSs 1Dx2 and 1Dy12) has the largest effects on the parameters related to gluten and dough functionalities and breadmaking quality. Consistent with this suggestion, the deletion mutants lacking Glu-D1 or its combination with Glu-A1 or Glu-B1 generally exhibited strong decreases in functional glutenin macropolymers (FGMPs) and in the incorporation of HMW-GSs and LMW-GSs into FGMPs. Further examination of two knockout mutants missing 1Dx2 or 1Dy12 showed that 1Dx2 was clearly more effective than 1Dy12 in promoting FGMPs by enabling the incorporation of more HMW-GSs and LMW-GSs into FGMPs. The new insight obtained and the mutants developed by us may aid further research on the control of wheat end-use quality by glutenin proteins.

Genetic analysis of soft white wheat end-use quality traits in a club by common wheat cross

Improved understanding of the genetic architecture of end-use quality traits and identification of associated quantitative trait loci (QTL) allow breeders to target loci and clarify the complex relationships among these traits. A set of 207 recombinant inbred lines from a ‘Coda’ by ‘Brundage’ soft wheat mapping population was grown in five environments over four years at Aberdeen, ID, Moscow, ID, and Pullman, WA, USA. The population was evaluated for grain, milling, and baking end-use quality traits using AACCI methods. A linkage map consisting of 570 single nucleotide polymorphisms and 136 simple sequence repeat markers was developed using JMP Genomics. This linkage map covered 20 of the 21 wheat chromosomes. Multiple interval mapping with the R/qtl package yielded 71 significant QTL associated with 14 end-use quality traits. QTL on chromosomes 2B, 2D, 4B and 6B were consistently associated with multiple end-use quality traits across multiple environments. Depending on the trait, both Coda and Brundage contributed favorable alleles for end-use quality. For some QTL, both Coda and Brundage contributed favorable alleles, but for different end-use quality traits, indicating these alleles may be linked in repulsion. Combining favorable alleles from each parent into a single line can improve the end-use quality. The identified QTL not only provide breeders with potentially useful markers for selection, but also improve understanding of genetic factors related to soft wheat end-use quality traits.

Evidence of intralocus recombination at the Glu-3 loci in bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Recombination at the Glu-3 loci was identified, and strong genetic linkage was observed only between the amplicons representing i-type and s-type genes located, respectively, at the Glu-A3 and Glu-B3 loci. The low-molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GSs) are one of the major components of wheat seed storage proteins and play a critical role in the determination of wheat end-use quality. The genes encoding this class of proteins are located at the orthologous Glu-3 loci (Glu-A3, Glu-B3, and Glu-D3). Due to the complexity of these chromosomal regions and the high sequence similarity between different LMW-GS genes, their organization and recombination characteristics are still incompletely understood. This study examined intralocus recombination at the Glu-3 loci in two recombinant inbred line (RIL) and one doubled haploid (DH) population, all segregating for the Glu-A3, Glu-B3, and Glu-D3 loci. The analysis was conducted using a gene marker system that consists of the amplification of the complete set of the LMW-GS genes and their visualization by capillary electrophoresis. Recombinant marker haplotypes were detected in all three populations with different recombination rates depending on the locus and the population. No recombination was observed between the amplicons representing i-type and s-type LMW-GS genes located, respectively, at the Glu-A3 and Glu-B3 loci, indicating tight linkage between these genes. Results of this study contribute to better understanding the genetic linkage and recombination between different LMW-GS genes, the structure of the Glu-3 loci, and the development of more specific molecular markers that better represent the genetic diversity of these loci. In this way, a more precise analysis of the contribution of various LMW-GSs to end-use quality of wheat may be achieved.

Overview of the Wheat Genetic Transformation and Breeding Status in China.

In the past two decades, Chinese scientists have achieved significant progress on three aspects of wheat genetic transformation. First, the wheat transformation platform has been established and optimized to improve the transformation efficiency, shorten the time required from starting of transformation procedure to the fertile transgenic wheat plants obtained as well as to overcome the problem of genotype-dependent for wheat genetic transformation in wide range of wheat elite varieties. Second, with the help of many emerging techniques such as CRISPR/cas9 function of over 100 wheat genes has been investigated. Finally, modern technology has been combined with the traditional breeding technique such as crossing to accelerate the application of wheat transformation. Overall, the wheat end-use quality and the characteristics of wheat stress tolerance have been improved by wheat genetic engineering technique. So far, wheat transgenic lines integrated with quality-improved genes and stress tolerant genes have been on the way of Production Test stage in the field. The debates and the future studies on wheat transformation have been discussed, and the brief summary of Chinese wheat breeding research history has also been provided in this review.

Characterization of a Triticum aestivum–Dasypyrum villosum T1VS·6BL translocation line and its effect on wheat quality

Bread wheat quality is mainly correlated with protein quality, particularly the glutenin content and high molecular weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) of grain endosperm. The number of HMW-GS alleles and loci are limited in bread wheat cultivars, though ideally, a large amount of HMW-GS alleles in wheat-related grasses should be exploited. In this study, a novel wheat-Dasypyrum villosum GP005 translocation line, NAU425, carrying a pair of T1VS·6BL translocation chromosomes was developed and assessed via molecular cytogenetic analysis. Grain quality analysis indicated that NAU425 has a positive effect on protein content, Zeleny sedimentation value, wet gluten content, and the rheological characteristics of wheat flour dough compared to the same qualities of recurrent parent ‘Chinese Spring’ attributed to the additional HMW-GS donated by 1VS of D. villosum. The protein content of T1VS·6BL was significantly improved compared to ‘Chinese Spring’ likely owing to the dramatic increase in glutenin content. Considering the importance of glutenin content for bread wheat end-use quality, and T1VS·6BL line with good plant vigor, full fertility and cytogenetic stability, NAU425 may be valuable in bread wheat quality improvement. Our results presented here may provide an approach to improve bread wheat quality through additional alien HMW-GS introgression.

A missense mutation affects the mobility of high molecular weight glutenin Dy10 subunit in SDS-PAGE

High-molecular-weight glutenin subunits (HMW-GS) are important in wheat end-use quality. We characterized a HMW-GS Dy10 mutant subunit with faster mobility than Dy10 in SDS-PAGE, and with equal mobility to Dy10 in urea-containing SDS-PAGE gel. A missense mutation was identified in the mutant subunit, which led to substitution of the 328th amino acid residue from ser (S) to phe (F) in the repetitive domain. The Dy10 subunit containing the missense mutation was designated as Dy10-m328SF (Genbank No. KU934284). Our results indicate that a single amino acid substitution in the repetitive domain can change the mobility of Dy10.

Addition of chromosome 4R from Hungarian rye cultivar Lovászpatonai confers resistance to stripe rust and outstanding end-use quality in wheat

The Hungarian rye (Secale cereale L., 2n = 2x = 14, RR) cultivar Lovászpatonai possesses numerous agronomically useful traits that can be exploited in wheat breeding. This study reports on the production, molecular cytogenetic identification, and evaluation of resistance to wheat stripe (or yellow) rust (Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici) under field conditions of a newly developed wheat-rye (Mv9kr1-‘Lovászpatonai’) disomic 4R addition line. Analysis of grain quality properties showed that the transfer of ‘Lovászpatonai’ chromosome 4R into wheat significantly increased the total arabinoxylan and protein content. This genetic material proved to be resistant to stripe rust in 2014 and 2015 when epidemics broke out in Hungary. It is assumed that this addition line carries an effective, new resistance gene different from that on rye chromosome arm 1RS of the 1RS.1BL translocation. The Mv9kr1-‘Lovászpatonai’ 4R addition line is a promising pre-breeding material being the first step towards creating translocation lines in order to transfer stripe rust resistance as well as high protein and dietary fibre content into cultivated wheat without deleterious effects on yield and grain quality.

Genomic Selection for Processing and End-Use Quality Traits in the CIMMYT Spring Bread Wheat Breeding Program.

Wheat ( L.) cultivars must possess suitable end-use quality for release and consumer acceptability. However, breeding for quality traits is often considered a secondary target relative to yield largely because of amount of seed needed and expense. Without testing and selection, many undesirable materials are advanced, expending additional resources. Here, we develop and validate whole-genome prediction models for end-use quality phenotypes in the CIMMYT bread wheat breeding program. Model accuracy was tested using forward prediction on breeding lines ( = 5520) tested in unbalanced yield trials from 2009 to 2015 at Ciudad Obregon, Sonora, Mexico. Quality parameters included test weight, 1000-kernel weight, hardness, grain and flour protein, flour yield, sodium dodecyl sulfate sedimentation, Mixograph and Alveograph performance, and loaf volume. In general, prediction accuracy substantially increased over time as more data was available to train the model. Reflecting practical implementation of genomic selection (GS) in the breeding program, forward prediction accuracies () for quality parameters were assessed in 2015 and ranged from 0.32 (grain hardness) to 0.62 (mixing time). Increased selection intensity was possible with GS since more entries can be genotyped than phenotyped and expected genetic gain was 1.4 to 2.7 times higher across all traits than phenotypic selection. Given the limitations in measuring many lines for quality, we conclude that GS is a powerful tool to facilitate early generation selection for end-use quality in wheat, leaving larger populations for selection on yield during advanced testing and leading to better gain for both quality and yield in bread wheat breeding programs.