Genetics of synthesis of beta-sitosterol esters in wheat and related species

Abstract

THE specificity of synthesis of -sitosterol esters in the endosperm of the allohexaploid wheat, Triticum aestivum (genomesABD), is different from that of the allotetraploid wheat, T. durum (genomes AB). Palmitate (P) followed by linoleate (L) are the main esters in the hexaploid, while linoleate accounts for more than 90 per cent of the sito-sterol esters in the tetraploid. Although the phenotypic difference between the two species is the presence of palmitate in T. aestivum, a complete system for palmitate and linoleate (P–L) synthesis is added with the D genome to T. durum (AB), because both Aegilops squarrosa (D) and a synthetic T. spelta (ABD) show the P–L pattern (Fig. 1)