Variation of Seed Storage Protein Electrophoretic Patterns in Mungbean

Variability of seed storage protein electrophoretic patterns revealed by SDS-Polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and their possible relations with some morphological and phenological characteristics were studied using 193 accessions from Iran Mungbean (Vigna radiata</em> L. Wilczek) Collection. Seed protein electrophoresis revealed six different patterns that were different in two albumin and four globulin subunits with molecular weights of 23500-34000. Pattern types 1 and 2 had a considerable frequency but pattern types 3, 4, 5 and 6 had low frequencies and probably had developed recently in mungbean evolution process. Cluster analysis of countries and cities using the frequencies of albumin and globulin subunits showed no relation between geographical diversity and similarity distances. The correlations of morphological traits and albumin and globulin subunits indicated a relationship between G1 and G2 subunits with 1000 seed weight and days to beginning of maturity. Therefore, selection based on protein patterns at preliminary stages of breeding programs might be effective in increasing seed yield together with earliness.