Production of high quality durum wheat having increased amylose content
Inventors
Assignees
Montana State University Bozeman
Publication Number
US-9943095-B2
Publication Date
2018-04-17
Expiration Date
2033-10-23
Interested in licensing this patent?
MTEC can help explore whether this patent might be available for licensing for your application.
Abstract
The present invention provides compositions and methods of altering/improving Durum wheat phenotypes. Furthermore, methods of breeding Durum wheat and/or other closely related species to produce plants having altered or improved phenotypes are provided.
Core Innovation
The invention provides compositions and methods for producing durum wheat with a high amylose content by creating or selecting mutations in starch synthesis genes, specifically in the starch granule protein-A1 (SGP-A1) and starch granule protein-B1 (SGP-B1) genes. The core methodology includes mutagenesis of durum wheat in which mutant alleles of these genes are developed and selected, such as a 29 bp deletion in the first exon of SGP-A1 and amino acid substitutions from aspartic acid to asparagine at specific positions in SGP-B1.
The problem addressed is that information and methods are lacking for producing durum wheat with increased amylose content, which is an important trait influencing end-product properties such as pasta and noodle quality. Prior approaches using crosses between durum and hexaploid wheats are not considered commercially viable due to yield and stability drawbacks. Therefore, a need exists for compositions and breeding methods to specifically and efficiently modify amylose content in durum wheat.
The solution provided by the invention involves breeding and selecting durum wheat lines that are homozygous for both SGP-A1 and SGP-B1 mutant alleles, resulting in high amylose content in the wheat grain. The invention discloses methods for identifying, mutagenizing, and combining these mutations through breeding, leading to increased amylose content—greater than about 38% as measured by differential scanning calorimetry—and related modifications in starch properties. The invention further describes the production of plants, plant tissues, grains, and food products, such as pasta and noodles, from these high amylose durum wheat lines.
Claims Coverage
The patent contains multiple independent claims centered on inventive methods of producing durum wheat plants with specific mutations in SGP-A1 and SGP-B1 genes, leading to high amylose content.
Method for producing durum wheat with SGP-A1 and SGP-B1 mutations
A method that includes: 1. Mutagenizing durum wheat grain that already contains a mutant SGP-A1 allele (not derived from hexaploid wheat). 2. Growing plants from the mutagenized grain. 3. Screening for newly produced mutant SGP-B1 alleles, specifically encoding an aspartic acid to asparagine substitution at amino acid position 327 or 622 of SEQ ID No. 6. 4. Selecting a plant comprising the identified SGP-B1 mutation.
Crossing to generate plants homozygous for SGP-A1-null and SGP-B1-null alleles
A method comprising: - Crossing a durum wheat plant with one or more SGP-A1-null alleles to a second plant with one or more SGP-B1-null alleles to produce F1 progeny. - Selecting F1 progeny containing at least one copy each of the SGP-A1-null and SGP-B1-null alleles.
Producing durum wheat with mutant SGP-B1 and newly produced SGP-A1 alleles
A method wherein: - Durum wheat grain containing a mutant SGP-B1 allele (not from hexaploid wheat) is mutagenized. - The resulting plants are screened for a newly produced SGP-A1 mutant allele comprising a 29 bp deletion as in the PI-330546 wheat line. - Plants comprising both mutant alleles are selected.
The inventive features focus on specific breeding and mutagenesis strategies to create durum wheat with both SGP-A1 and SGP-B1 mutations, which results in high amylose grain.
Stated Advantages
The invention provides increased amylose content in durum wheat, resulting in flour and starch with higher resistant starch levels and improved health-related properties.
Products made from the high amylose grain, such as pasta and noodles, exhibit increased firmness and greater resistance to overcooking compared to products from wild-type durum wheat.
The grain, flour, and food products show increased dietary fiber, protein content, and resistant starch, providing enhanced nutritional qualities.
Use of high amylose durum wheat leads to pasta and noodle products with lower glycemic index compared to those made from wild-type durum wheat.
The invention enables the modification of starch properties and end-product characteristics without relying on crosses with hexaploid wheat, thus maintaining agronomic and quality traits of durum wheat.
Documented Applications
Production of flour-based products such as pasta and noodles from high amylose durum wheat.
Use of high amylose durum wheat for processing into milled products, including flour, starch, and semolina.
Preparation of food products requiring higher dietary fiber, resistant starch, or protein content, using the altered grains, flour, or starch.
Development of wheat-based products, such as dried pasta, with improved firmness, increased resistance to overcooking, and reduced glycemic index.
Interested in licensing this patent?