Background: Abscisic acid-, stress-, and ripening-induced (ASR) genes are a class of plant specific transcription factors (TFs), which play important roles in plant development, growth and abiotic stress responses. The wheat ASRs have not been described in genome-wide yet. Methods: We predicted the transmembrane regions and subcellular localization using the TMHMM server, and Plant-mPLoc server and CELLO v2.5, respectively. Then the phylogeny tree was built by MEGA7. The exon-intron structures, conserved motifs and TFs binding sites were analyzed by GSDS, MEME program and PlantRegMap, respectively. Results: In wheat, 33ASR genes were identified through a genome-wide survey and classified into six groups. Phylogenetic analyses revealed that the TaASR proteins in the same group tightly clustered together, compared with those from other species. Duplication analysis indicated that the TaASR gene family has expanded mainly through tandem and segmental duplication events. Similar gene structures and conserved protein motifs of TaASRs in wheat were identified in the same groups. ASR genes contained various TF binding cites associated with the stress responses in the promoter region. Gene expression was generally associated with the expected group-specific expression pattern in five tissues, including grain, leaf, root, spike and stem, indicating the broad conservation of ASR genes function during wheat evolution. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that several ASRs were up-regulated in response to NaCl and PEG stress. Conclusion: We identified ASR genes in wheat and found that gene duplication events are the main driving force for ASR gene evolution in wheat. The expression of wheat ASR genes was modulated in responses to multiple abiotic stresses, including drought/osmotic and salt stress. The results provided important information for further identifications of the functions of wheat ASR genes and candidate genes for high abiotic stress tolerant wheat breeding.

The combined stress of waterlogging and shading (WS) caused by continuous rain threatens the production of high-quality weak gluten wheat in China (Triticum aestivum L.). To evaluate its influences on wheat quality formation, Yangmai 158 was chosen to be subjected to WS at 0–7 days after anthesis (DAA, WS0–7), 8–15 DAA (WS8–15), 16–23 DAA (WS16–23), and 24–31 DAA (WS24–31), respectively, with non-stressed plants as control (Non-WS). Compared with Non-WS, WS reduced the amylopectin content and enhanced amylose content in the mature grains. WS enhanced the number and surface but reduced the size of the starch granules. The number, volume, and surface area percentages of B-type starch granules were enhanced, and the number and volume percentages of A-type starch granules were reduced by WS. The peak viscosity and gelatinization temperature were enhanced and the low viscosity and final viscosity were decreased by WS. WS applied at the mid-grain-filling stage (WS8–15 and WS16–23) had greater modification on the starch content, granule size distribution and pasting characteristics than that applied at early (WS0–7) or late (WS24–31). The changes of starch pasting characteristics under WS had a significant correlation with the amylase and amylopectin content, amylase/amylopectin, and the ratio of the volume percent of B-type and A-type starch granules.