Relationship between electrophoretic pattern of storage proteins and gluten strength in durum wheat landraces from Turkey

A collection of 180 Triticum durum lines from Turkey and 22 Italian cultivars were investigated by electrophoretic techniques and evaluated for grain parameters such as protein content and sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS)‐sedimentation test. A total of 14 different patterns were observed for high‐molecular‐weight (HMW) glutenin subunits resulting from the combination of three alleles from the A genome and seven from the B genome. Three new allelic variants, one at Glu‐A1 and two at Glu‐B1, were found. Five different alleles were detected at the Glu‐B1 locus. Genotypes with the same allelic variant at Gli‐B1 showed inconsistency of composition in B group of low‐molecular‐weight (LMW) glutenin subunits. A total of 11 different B‐subunit patterns were identified in the material analysed. A substantial proportion (78%) of the variation in gluten properties could be explained in terms of protein composition, with the LMW glutenin subunits making the largest contribution (54%). Results indicate that, in addition to Glu‐B3 encoded proteins, variation at other loci coding for some intermediate and fastest B subunits might also influence rheological properties.