Introgression of Dasypyrum villosum chromatin into common wheat improves grain protein quality

Dasypyrum villosum (L.) Candargy (DV) is a diploid (2n = 14, VV genomes), allogamous grass of the Mediterranean region. It may be hybridized with wheat and is thus a gene resource for wheat improvement. We studied grain protein concentration and SDS-sedimentation (SED) as indicators of end-use quality. The latter is a good predictor of gluten strength. A-PAGE and SDS-PAGE were used to identify monomeric and polymeric seed storage proteins, respectively, to relate proteins of DV to those found in Chinese Spring (CS), Triticum aestivum L., wheat. Two full-sib lines of DV had high grain protein (19.3 and 20.3%), but one had very low mean SED (69 mm) and one had very high (118 mm) based on one greenhouse and one field test. CS had very low grain protein (12.0%) and weak gluten (33 mm). Single-DV chromosome addition and substitution lines and two DV-wheat recombinant lines all had higher grain protein than CS (range 13.9 to 16.7%). SED values showed a different pattern. CS+4V and CS+6V had low SED, 63 and 44 mm, similar to CS, whereas CS+1V and full sib DV 200 had very strong gluten, 118 mm, as did substitution lines CS.1V (1A) and CS.1V (1B), 125 and 131 mm, respectively. One hybrid-derived line with DV-wheat 1V recombinant chromosome had SED of 99 mm and one line with a 6V added chromosome had SED of 64 mm. The large positive effects of quality in the wheat having DV chromosome 1V are believed to be due to DV alleles at the Glu-V1 and Gli-V1/Glu-V3 loci. DV chromosomes 4V and 6V did not contribute to improved quality probably due to Gli-V2 and Gli-V3 which, as the orthologous loci in wheat, do not enhance wheat quality. Based on the positive effects of alleles on DV chromosome 1V in a bread wheat background, we conclude that D. villosum is a source of allelic diversity that can be considered for improving end-use quality in bread wheat.