Grain protein content enhancement in wheat continues to be as one of the strategic purposes of the modern breeding. However, grain protein content is a quantitative polygenic trait highly depended of the agronomic and climate environments of growth. Therefore, it is complicated for efficient control and managing in the course of breeding. In the wild emmer T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides accession of national funds of germplasm in Israel the wild-type gene Gpc-B1 (grain protein concentration) located on chromosome 6B was identified. The functional Gpc-B1 is associated with essential enhancement of grain protein content and simultaneously several key micronutrients due to enforcement of physiological plant senescence and more efficient nitrogen remobilization from vegetative mass to grain. Gene Gpc-B1 causes minor negative effects on some structural yield elements such as grain and grain test weight with no considerable penalty on grain yield per ce. Gene Gpc-B1 was successfully cloned and its molecular structure and functionality were studied in details. The experiments carried out in many countries on the different genetic background and under contrast growth environments evidenced the high efficiency of the gene Gpc-B1 use in breeding programs aimed on grain protein and minerals content enhancement as well as wheat baking and nutrition quality amelioration.
Keywords: wheat, protein content, minerals, chromosome 6B, gene Gpc-B1 (NAM-B1), senescence, nitrogen remobilization, T. turgidum ssp. dicoccoides.
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