Triticain alpha represents the major active papain-like cysteine protease in naturally senescing and ozone-treated leaves of wheat.

Current background tropospheric ozone (O) concentrations have significant adverse effects on wheat. O generally induces oxidative damages and premature leaf senescence leading to important yield losses. As leaf protein degradation and recycling is involved in both maintaining cell longevity during abiotic stresses and performing efficient nitrogen remobilization during senescence, we aimed to identify proteases involved in acidic endoproteolytic activities during natural and O-induced leaf senescence in wheat.

Association mapping of autumn-seeded rye (Secale cereale L.) reveals genetic linkages between genes controlling winter hardiness and plant development.

Winter field survival (WFS) in autumn-seeded winter cereals is a complex trait associated with low temperature tolerance (LTT), prostrate growth habit (PGH), and final leaf number (FLN). WFS and the three sub-traits were analyzed by a genome-wide association study of 96 rye (Secale cereal L.) genotypes of different origins and winter-hardiness levels.

Nutritional Composition and In Vitro Starch Digestibility of Crackers Supplemented with Faba Bean Whole Flour, Starch Concentrate, Protein Concentrate and Protein Isolate.

The nutritional quality of common wheat-based foods can be improved by adding flours from whole pulses or their carbohydrate and protein constituents. Faba bean ( L.) is a pulse with high protein concentration.

The Relationships between Plant Developmental Traits and Winter Field Survival in Rye ( L.).

Overwintering cereals accumulate low temperature tolerance (LTT) during cold acclimation in the autumn. Simultaneously, the plants adjust to the colder season by making developmental changes at the shoot apical meristem. These processes lead to higher winter hardiness in winter rye varieties ( L.

Sequential expression of raffinose synthase and stachyose synthase corresponds to successive accumulation of raffinose, stachyose and verbascose in developing seeds of Lens culinaris Medik.

Raffinose, stachyose and verbascose form the three major members of the raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) accumulated during seed development. Raffinose synthase (RS; EC 2.4.

Faba bean meal, starch or protein fortification of durum wheat pasta differentially influence noodle composition, starch structure and in vitro digestibility.

Faba bean (Vicia faba L.) flour, starch concentrate (60% starch), protein concentrate (~60% protein) and protein isolate (~85% protein) were added to replace one-quarter of durum wheat semolina to enrich the nutritional quality and physiological functions of durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L.) pasta.

Wheat Immature Spike Culture Screening Identified Fusarium Head Blight Resistance in Wheat Spike Cultured Derived Variants and in the Progeny of Their Crosses with an Elite Cultivar.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) is a devastating fungal disease of wheat ( L.). The lack of genetic resources with stable FHB resistance combined with a reliable and rapid screening method to evaluate FHB resistance is a major limitation to the development of FHB resistant wheat germplasm.

Brassinosteroid receptor mutation influences starch granule size distribution in barley grains.

Brassinosteroids (BR) are plant-based steroids which influence several morphogenetic and developmental processes. A barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) genotype Kinai Kyoshinkai-2 (KK-2) carrying the uzu mutation exhibited altered starch granule size distribution.

Spike culture derived wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) variants exhibit improved resistance to multiple chemotypes of Fusarium graminearum.

Fusarium head blight (FHB) in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), predominantly caused by Fusarium graminearum, has been categorized into three chemotypes depending on the major mycotoxin produced. The three mycotoxins, namely, 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON) and nivalenol (NIV) also determine their aggressiveness and response to fungicides.

Faba bean protein flours added to pasta reduce post-ingestion glycaemia, and increase satiety, protein content and quality.

The hypothesis that adding faba bean (FB) flour and its macronutrient concentrated flours to pasta reduces postprandial glycaemia and increases satiety was tested in 54 young adult males. Each consumed a serving of pasta made from durum wheat semolina (DWS) alone, or DWS flour with 25% of flours from whole FB (FBF), starch concentrate (FBS), protein concentrate (FBPC), or protein isolate (FBPI). Post-consumption measurements included postprandial blood glucose, insulin, C-peptide, GLP-1 and PYY, and subjective appetite, over 120 min.

Starch granule size and amylopectin chain length influence starch in vitro enzymatic digestibility in selected rice mutants with similar amylose concentration.

In human diet, the products of starch digestion are a major energy source. Starch is stored as water insoluble granules composed of amylose and amylopectin. The susceptibility of starch granule to digestive enzymes is affected by starch granule size, shape, and composition.

Co-localization of genomic regions associated with seed morphology and composition in a desi chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) population varying in seed protein concentration.

Major QTL on LG 1 and 3 control seed filling and seed coat development, thereby affecting seed shape, size, color, composition and weight, key determinants of crop yield and quality. A chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) population consisting of 189 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross between medium-protein ICC 995 and high-protein ICC 5912 genotypes of the desi market class was analyzed for seed properties.

Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in B-Genome Specific UDP-Glucosyl Transferases Associated with Fusarium Head Blight Resistance and Reduced Deoxynivalenol Accumulation in Wheat Grain.

An in vitro spike culture method was optimized to evaluate Fusarium head blight (FHB) resistance in wheat (Triticum aestivum) and used to screen a population of ethyl methane sulfonate treated spike culture-derived variants (SCDV). Of the 134 SCDV evaluated, the disease severity score of 47 of the variants was ≤30%. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in the UDP-glucosyltransferase (UGT) genes, TaUGT-2B, TaUGT-3B, and TaUGT-EST, differed between AC Nanda (an FHB-susceptible wheat variety) and Sumai-3 (an FHB-resistant wheat cultivar).

EcoTILLING by sequencing reveals polymorphisms in genes encoding starch synthases that are associated with low glycemic response in rice.

Background: Glycemic response, a trait that is tedious to be assayed in cereal staples, has been identified as a factor correlated with alarmingly increasing prevalence of Type II diabetes. Reverse genetics based discovery of allelic variants associated with this nutritional trait gains significance as they can provide scope for genetic improvement of this factor which is otherwise difficult to target through routine screening methods.

Results: Through EcoTILLING by sequencing in 512 rice accessions, we report the discovery of six deleterious variants in the genes with potential to increase Resistant Starch (RS) and reduce Hydrolysis Index (HI) of starch.

Amylopectin small chain glucans form structure fingerprint that determines botanical origin of starch.

Starch granule size, shape and structure of amylopectin are species specific and influence starch properties and end-use of starch. Amylopectin glucan chain structure was used to predict the starch botanical sources. Mathematical probability for accumulation of small glucan chains DP 6-10 reveal exponential fit curve with maximum R in smallest granule size starches (Chlamydomonas, quinoa, buckwheat).

Differential expression of two galactinol synthase isoforms LcGolS1 and LcGolS2 in developing lentil (Lens culinaris Medik. cv CDC Redberry) seeds.

Galactinol synthase (GS, EC 2.4.1.

Genotype, environment and G × E interaction influence (1,3;1,4)-β-d-glucan fine structure in barley (Hordeum vulgare L.).

Background: The structure of β-glucan influences its use in cereal-based foods and feed. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of environment (E) and genotype (G) on β-glucan fine structure and its genetic control in two-row spring barley with normal starch characteristics.

Results: A population of 89 recombinant inbred lines, derived from the cross of two-row spring barley genotypes Merit × H93174006 (H92076F1 × TR238), was characterized for concentration and structure of grain β-glucan in two environments.

Galactinol synthase enzyme activity influences raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) accumulation in developing chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds.

To understand raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) metabolism in chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) seeds, RFO accumulation and corresponding biosynthetic enzymes activities were determined during seed development of chickpea genotypes with contrasting RFO concentrations. RFO concentration in mature seeds was found as a facilitator rather than a regulating step of seed germination.

Wheat genome specific granule-bound starch synthase I differentially influence grain starch synthesis.

Wheat grain development is a complex process and is characterized by changes in physicochemical and structural properties of starch. The present study deals with endosperm starch physicochemical properties and structure during development in different granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) null also known as waxy (Wx) genotypes. The study was conducted with pure starch isolated from wheat grains at 3-30 days post anthesis (DPA), at 3-day intervals.

A reliable and rapid method for soluble sugars and RFO analysis in chickpea using HPAEC-PAD and its comparison with HPLC-RI.

A high performance anion exchange chromatography (HPAEC) coupled with pulsed amperometric detection (PAD) was optimised to separate with precision, accuracy and high reproducibility soluble sugars including oligosaccharides present in pulse meal samples. The optimised method within 20min separated myo-inositol, galactinol, glucose, fructose, sucrose, raffinose, stachyose and verbascose in chickpea seed meal extracts. Gradient method of eluting solvent (sodium hydroxide) resulted in higher sensitivity and rapid detection compared to similar analytical methods.

Development of barley (Hordeum vulgare L.) lines with altered starch granule size distribution.

Microscope analysis of starches prepared from 139 barley genotypes identified a Japanese genotype, Kinai Kyoshinkai-2 (KK-2), with altered starch granule size distribution. Compared to normal barley starch, KK-2 produced consistently higher volumes of starch granules with 5-15 μm diameter and reduced volumes of starch granules with >15 μm diameter when grown in different environments. A cross between KK-2 and normal starch cultivar CDC Kendall was made and led to the production of 154 F5 lines with alterations to the normal 7:3:1 distribution for A-:B-:C-type starch granule volumes.

Genome-specific granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI) influences starch biochemical and functional characteristics in near-isogenic wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) lines.

Near-isogenic wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) lines differing at the Waxy locus were studied for the influence of genome-specific granule-bound starch synthase I (GBSSI/Waxy; Wx-A, Wx-B, Wx-D) on starch composition, structure, and in vitro starch enzymatic hydrolysis. Grain composition, amylose concentration, amylopectin unit-chain length distribution, and starch granule size distribution varied with the loss of functional GBSSI.

Genotype and growing environment interaction shows a positive correlation between substrates of raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) biosynthesis and their accumulation in chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) seeds.

To develop genetic improvement strategies to modulate raffinose family oligosaccharides (RFO) concentration in chickpea ( Cicer arietinum L.) seeds, RFO and their precursor concentrations were analyzed in 171 chickpea genotypes from diverse geographical origins. The genotypes were grown in replicated trials over two years in the field (Patancheru, India) and in the greenhouse (Saskatoon, Canada).

Polymorphism in the barley granule bound starch synthase 1 (gbss1) gene associated with grain starch variant amylose concentration.

Granule bound starch synthase 1 (GBSS1) accumulation within starch granules and structure of Gbss1 alleles were determined for nine barley ( Hordeum vulgare L.) genotypes producing amylose-free (undetectable), near-waxy (1.6-4.

In vitro-cultured wheat spikes provide a simplified alternative for studies of cadmium uptake in developing grains.

Background: An immature wheat spike culture system was used to monitor cadmium (Cd) accumulation in grains, hulls and awns of bread wheat and durum wheat. Immature spikes were cultured prior to anthesis in a medium containing 50 g L(-1) sucrose and 0.4 g L(-1) L-glutamine, supplemented with 0, 0.