Abstract
Grain albumin is highly nutritious and closely related to the processing quality of wheat. However, few studies have explored the grain albumin content (GAC) in wheat. This study aims to uncover quantitative trait loci (QTLs) linked to wheat GAC by analyzing a doubled haploid (DH) population derived from common wheat cultivars ShanNong23 and ZhouMai17. We detected six QTLs controlling GAC on chromosomes 1B, 5A, and 6D, with individual QTL explaining 5.78% to 22.29% of the GAC variation. The effect of QGac.cau-1B.1 on GAC is attributed to the presence of the 1BL/1RS translocation, indicating that the 1BL/1RS translocation increase of GAC compared with the non-1BL/1RS translocation lines. The higher GAC observed in 1BL/1RS lines could be primarily attributed to the increased accumulation of omega-secalin, omega-gliadin, low molecular weight glutenin subunit and ribosomal protein content. Additionally, we also found that the SDS-sedimentation value of whole wheat flour was decreased by adding albumin solution. These results advance our understanding of the genetic basis of GAC and offer novel perspectives for enhancing wheat quality through genetic enhancements.