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Volume 44, Issue 2 p. 418-424
Wheat

Identification and Characterization of a Low Phytic Acid Wheat

Mary Guttieri

Mary Guttieri

Univ. of Idaho, Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, P.O. Box 870, Aberdeen, ID, 83210

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David Bowen

David Bowen

Univ. of Idaho, Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, P.O. Box 870, Aberdeen, ID, 83210

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John A. Dorsch

John A. Dorsch

BASF Corp., Research Triangle Park, NC, 27709

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Victor Raboy

Victor Raboy

USDA-ARS Small Grains and Potato Research Unit, P.O. Box 607, Aberdeen, ID, 83210

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Edward Souza

Corresponding Author

Edward Souza

Univ. of Idaho, Aberdeen Research and Extension Center, P.O. Box 870, Aberdeen, ID, 83210

Corresponding author ([email protected]).Search for more papers by this author
First published: 01 March 2004
Citations: 143

J. Dorsch is a former postdoctoral fellow of the USDA-ARS. Research supported by the Idaho Agric. Exp. Stn. Project IDA1222, Manuscript no. 3725.

Abstract

Phytic acid (myo-inositol-1,2,3,4,5,6-hexakisphosphate, or Ins P6) is the most abundant storage form of P in seeds, yet indigestible by humans and nonruminant livestock. A wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) mutant is described herein with greatly reduced seed phytic acid P but little change in seed total P, similar to lpa1-type mutants described in other grain species. One nonlethal mutant from 562 ethyl-methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenized M2 lines was identified with a high inorganic phosphate (HIP) phenotype and designated Js-12-LPA. Js-12-LPA homozygotes produced seed in which phytic acid P represented 48.2% of seed total P, in contrast to 74.7% of seed total P in nonmutant or wild-type control, Js-12-WT. The inorganic portion of seed P was increased from 9.1% in Js-12-WT to 50.1% in Js-12-LPA, with little effect on total seed P. Weight distributions among milling fractions were similar for the Js-12-LPA and Js-12-WT genotypes. The low phytic acid trait altered the distribution of total P within the kernel, increasing the P content of the central endosperm and decreasing the P content of the bran. The low phytic acid trait decreased the phytic acid concentration in the bran by 43% and increased the inorganic P concentration in the bran nearly four-fold. Inheritance data of F2 and F4:6 families was inconsistent with a single-gene mutation and suggests the involvement of two or more genes. This low phytic acid wheat mutant is a genetic resource for studying the biology of seed phytic acid metabolism and wheat quality improvement.