Variation of B subunits of glutenin in durum, wild and less‐widely cultivated tetraploid wheats*

Three major types of B subunits of glutenin patterns were detected among 240 durum wheat lines collected from eleven countries by the one‐step one‐dimensional SDS‐PAGE procedure. Most commercial durum lines had the LMW‐2 type while extensive variation of other banding patterns was found for lines particularly from North African and Mediterranean region. A total of 281 wild and less‐cultivated tetraploid wheat lines (var. dicoczoides, Triticum dicoccum and T. polonicum) were also studied for the variation of low molecular weight glutenin subunits and extensive variation was found. The complexity of banding patterns observed among the T. turgidum species indicate a rich source of glutenin variation with a potential value to be used for quality improvement of cultivated wheat when their functional properties have been tested.