The influence of allelic variability of prolamins on gluten quality in durum wheat: An overview

Gluten proteins, gliadins and glutenins, play a key role in wheat quality. In the case of durum wheat for pasta production, glutenins, especially the low molecular weight glutenin subunits (LMW-GS), are the main determinant of gluten strength. However, the characterization of these proteins in wheat varieties is difficult because of their complex genetic control and the limitations of the methods used to identify the different allelic variants. Molecular markers able to capture the polymorphism of LMW-GS genes have not yet been developed for durum wheat, with sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) being the most frequently used technique for LMW-GS analysis. In this study, we reviewed the genetic control and variability of prolamins, and then, we analysed the results from different studies examining the influence of glutenins on gluten quality by using SDS-PAGE. Based on these results, we compiled and classified the alleles at the glutenin loci by their positive or negative effects on gluten strength. This information can assist in early screening of quality in breeding programs. The current status of the development of molecular markers and the use of genomic methodologies for quality selection in wheat have also been reviewed.