High molecular weight glutenin (HMW-Glu) subunit compositions of 73 Korean wheat cultivars and experimental lines were evaluated by using one dimensional sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This method is suitable for obtaining a good resolution of 1Dx2 and 1Ax2* without adverse effects on separation of other HMW-Glu subunits. Korean wheats examined in this study could be divided into 15 different groups on the basis of HMW-Glu subunit compositions. From the wheat lines tested, it was identified that there were three alleles at the Glu-Al, five at the Glu-Bl and three at the Glu-D1 loci. The null allele of the Glu-Al was occurred in high frequency (79.4%), while low frequencies for 1Ax1 (12.3%) and 1Ax2* (8.2%) were found. High frequency (75.3%) of the subunit pairs of 1Bx7+1By8 at the Glu-Bl loci compared with other subunits was found. The frequencies of subunits 1Dx2. 2+1Dy12 and 1Dx2+1Dy12 from the Glu-D1 loci were 54. 8% and 37.0%, respectively. However, a few Korean wheat lines (8.2%) carried 1Dx5 + 1Dy10 subunit pair which are responsible for good breadmaking quality. The information of HMW-Glu subunit compositions provide a useful tool to characterize wheat lines, and can be directly used in selection of breeding lines of different end-use properties.

• Byung Hee Hong
• Chul Soo Park