Alleles at storage protein loci in Triticum spelta L. accessions and their occurrence in related wheats

The diversity at eight storage protein loci was analyzed in the collection of Triticum spelta accesssions from the National Center for Plant Genetic Resources of Ukraine (most of accessions were European spelts). Seven alleles at the Gli-B1 locus; five alleles at the Gli-A1 and Glu-B1 loci; three alleles at the Glu-B1 locus; and two alleles at the Gli-D1, Gli-B5, Glu-A1, and Glu-D1 loci were identified. Most alleles are found among common wheat cultivars; only five spelt-specific alleles were detected. The high frequency of the GliB1hs* and h alleles encoding the 45-type gamma-gliadin among European spelt and durum wheat, as well as the occurrence of these alleles in T. dicoccum (particularly, in emmer accessions from Switzerland and Germany), are evidence in favor of von Buren's hypothesis that the European spelt arose from the hybridization between tetraploid wheat with the 45-type gamma-gliadin and hexaploid wheat. The analysis of genetic distances based on the genotypes at eight storage protein loci allowed differentiating the Asian spelt accession from European spelts.