Characterization of high-molecular-weight glutenin subunits and their coding genes from Aegilops umbellulata

The high-molecular-weight (HMW) glutenin subunits and their coding genes from Aegilops umbellulata Zhuk. (UU, 2n = 2x = 14) were characterized using SDS-PAGE analysis and molecular approaches. SDS-PAGE analysis showed that the 1 Ux subunits from four different accessions possessed electrophoretic mobilities close to, or slower than, that displayed by the 1Dx2.2 subunit of common wheat. The electrophoretic mobilities of the 1 Uy subunits were generally similar to those shown by the 1Dy subunits of common wheat. The complete open reading frames of the 1 Ux and 1 Uy genes were amplified by PCR and subsequently cloned and sequenced. Amino acid sequence comparisons suggested that the primary structure of the 1 Ux and 1 Uy subunits were identical to that of published HMW glutenin subunits from related species. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the HMW glutenin subunits of Ae. umbellulata were most closely related to those encoded by the D genome of Triticeae.