RESEARCH ARTICLE Discovery, distribution and b

Full list of author information is available at the end of the articleGrain texture is one of the most important characteristics determining the end-use properties of bread wheat (Triticum aestivum L.). It is well known that grain texture is mainly controlled by the Ha (Hardness) locus on the short arm of the 5D chromosome, even though the Ha in bread wheat [1]. Compared with the Ha loci on the 5AS and 5BS chromosome, the Ha locus on the 5DS chromosome possesses three special genes- Puroindoline a (Pina-D1), Puroindoline b (Pinb-D1) and Grain Softness Protein (Gsp-1). Puroindoline genes have been proven to play a key role in modulating the grain texture in bread wheat [2-4]. However, the mechanism by which Puroindoline genes soften endosperm remains unknown. Moreover, the Gsp-1 gene does not perform