Abstract

Grain protein composition is important in wheat quality and may influence the amino acidic sequence of bioactive peptides obtained from this feedstock. However, the genetic basis modulating the amino acid profile in durum wheat is not well understood. Therefore, strong and weak gluten strength durum wheat genotypes were evaluated for their amino acid composition along grain filling. Strong gluten strength lines showed higher expression levels of low-molecular-weight glutenin-related genes between 21 and 35 days post anthesis (DPA) and exhibited up to 43.5% more alanine than the weak lines at 42 DPA, which was supported by the higher expression levels of putative alanine amino transferase genes in strong genotypes. Therefore, by involving chemistry and molecular biology, the results present here may influence the science of wheat.