Analysis of gliadin patterns and diversity in Triticum polonicum L. accessions from Ethiopia

Abstract

Gliadins from 25 accessions represented by 350 individual seed samples were analysed by acid-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (A-PAGE) with the objective of identifying gliadin band patterns and examine the extent of diversity in Triticum polonicum L. collections from Ethiopia. Seventy polymorphic bands and 68 different patterns were identified. Eighteen different mobility bands and 16 patterns were identified in ω-gliadin region, 22 bands and 20 patterns in γ-gliadin region, 12 bands and 22 patterns in β-gliadin region and 18 bands and 10 patterns in α-gliadin region. The average genetic diversity calculated from the data of the four gliadin zones of the analysed samples was 0.15. The γ region have the highest diversity (H = 0.193), followed by ω regions (H = 0.177) and β region (H = 0.168) and the lowest diversity was observed in α region (H = 0.127). Cluster analysis based on genetic distances resulted in grouping of the analysed accessions in to seven main groups. Though the level of diversity was relatively lower than other tetraploid wheat species from Ethiopia, the findings are indicative of the existence of variation in the collections which can be exploited for wheat improvement.