GENETIC-STUDIES OF TRITICEAE DEHYDRINS - ASSIGNMENT OF SEED PROTEINS AND A REGULATORY FACTOR TO MAP POSITIONS

A collection of 200 wheat (Triticum aestivum L. cv 'Chinese Spring') c ytogenetic stocks (nullisomic, tetrasomic: nulli-tetrasomic, ditelosom ic and deletion lines, addition and substitution stocks from intra- an d inter-specific crosses) was utilized to determine the proteins encod ed by some of the wheat and barley dehydrin genes, using a western blo t procedure. Proteins extracted from seeds were reacted with antibodie s that recognize dehydrins in a wide range of plants, including wheat and barley. Proteins encoded by dehydrin loci in chromosome arms 4DS, 5BL and 6AL of 'Chinese Spring' wheat were assigned by this method. Th ere was also evidence of a regulatory factor on 5B in the vicinity of the dhn genes, and on 5H in wheat-barley addition lines, that is requi red for a normal level of expression of seed dehydrins in hexaploid wh eat. Further understanding of this putative regulatory factor would be helpful for the interpretation of linkage studies that may relate deh ydrin gene expression to phenotypes such as dehydration, salinity or l ow-temperature tolerance.