High Temperature during Grain Fill Alters the Morphology of Protein and Starch Deposits in the Starchy Endosperm Cells of Developing Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) Grain

High temperature during grain fill reduces wheat yield and alters flour quality. Starchy endosperm cell morphology was investigated in wheat (Triticum aestivum L. 'Butte 86') grain produced under a 24/17 or 37/28 degrees C day/night regimen imposed from anthesis to maturity to identify changes in cell structure related to the functional properties of flour. The duration of grain fill decreased substantially under the 37/28 degrees C regimen, but, like the 24/17 degrees C regimen, endosperm cells in the mature grain were packed with starch and protein. However, A-type starch granules increased in number, decreased in size, and exhibited pitting; B-type granules decreased in both number and size; and the protein matrix was proportionally greater in endosperm cells of grain produced under the 37/28 degrees C regimen. Such changes in starch granule number, size, and structure and in protein amount are known to contribute to variations in wheat flour quality.