Genetic diversity in ecotypes of Aegilops biuncialis for seed storage proteins

In this study, the genetic diversity of Aegilops biuncialis ecotypes, a wild ancestor of wheat, was studied in terms of seed storage proteins using SDS-PAGE and A-PAGE electrophoresis. Nei’s genetic variation for the high molecular weight glutenin (HMW) and for the low molecular weight (LMW) was estimated as 21.40% and 27.30%, respectively. Variation in protein bands for LMW was greater than the HMW proteins. The ecotypes of Marand, Maku, Pars Abad, Varzeqan and Shabestar had a band above to HMW-2, and ecotypes of Marand, Maku and Germi had the band between HMW-7 and HMW-8. ω-gliadin proteins had the most diverse bands, and the lowest variability was observed in the γ region. Due to the existence of γ-45 and γ-43.5 bands and high rate of bands in ω region as indicators for high gluten quality, Ae. biuncialis can be used in breeding programs to improve the quality of wheat flour. Using cluster analysis, the ecotypes were separated as three groups. So that the ecotypes of Marand, Maku and Shabestar were located in the first group, the ecotypes of Varzeqan and Ahar in the second group and the ecotypes of Germi, Pars Abad, Meshkin Shahr and Ardabil were located in the third group. The lowest genetic distance was observed between ecotypes of Meshkin shahr and Ardabil and the highest genetic distance between ecotypes of Ahar with Meshkin shahr and Shabestar and between Maku and Pars Abad ecotypes.