Increase in grain protein and gluten contents of bread wheat by the introgression of a T. timopheevii segment into chromosome 2A

Abstract

End use and value of harvested bread wheat grain is determined by its protein and gluten content. Therefore, the stable manifestation of this trait in a cultivar is an important breeding goal. According to some reports, the tetraploid species T. timopheevii is characteristic for a high protein and gluten contents in grain. However, there are no examples of transfer of genes for these traits from this species. The aim of this study was to transfer chromosome 2A with an introgression from T. timopheevii from an experimental line (line 821) to bread wheat cultivar Saratovskaya 29 (S29) and to show its association with increased protein and gluten contents in grain. The chromosome 2A with introgression from T. timopheevii was transferred to cv. S29 using a monosomic line and its integrity was checked using 14 molecular markers. The obtained single chromosome substitution line S29 (821 2A) was grown in 5 different geographical locations: Novosibirsk, Omsk, Barnaul, Ussuriysk and Gatersleben, as well as in a greenhouse. It was found that under all conditions, protein and gluten contents in grain of line S29 (821 2A) was significantly higher by 1–2% and 3–4%, respectively, compared to the parental cultivar. In most cases this introgression did not reduce grain yield and retained thousand grain weight. The line had high rheological properties of dough comparable to the high-quality cv. S29. It has been suggested that the new genetic factor may belong to the homoeoallelic series of gene Gpc-2 for high grain protein content.