The effects of Mycosphaerella graminicola infection on wheat protein content and quality

The effects of Mycosphaerella graminicola, the causal agent of Septoria tritici blotch of wheat on the content and quality of storage proteins were studied. Field research was undertaken by comparing plots with and without artificial inoculation. Twenty-one Syrian cultivars, 11 (Triticum aestivum L.) and 10 (T. turgidum var. durum Desf.) were used in this study. The results show high differences in the susceptibility levels among cultivars which were subsequently divided into four groups: resistant, moderately resistant, moderately susceptible and highly susceptible. Results also showed that protein content decreased significantly in severely infected cultivars. However, the disease did not affect the protein quality using both A-PAGE and SDS-PAGE techniques.