Objective Exploring the correlation between the activity of superoxide dismutase in wheat grain and the allelic variation of TaSOD-B1 gene locus, and analyzing the distribution of TaSOD-B1a and TaSOD-B1b genotypes, which is the basis of genetic improvement of wheat breeding and quality in Xinjiang.

Methods A set of functional marker primers SOD-5B1 was used to detect the TaSOD-B1 gene loci of 101 Xinjiang wheat varieties (lines). Combined with the measured SOD activity of Xinjiang wheat grains, the effects of TaSOD-B1a and TaSOD-B1b allelic variation on the SOD activity of wheat grains were analyzed, and the effectiveness of functional markers of TaSOD-B1 gene loci was verified. Meanwhile, the distribution of allelic variation of TaSOD-B1 gene in Xinjiang wheat materials was analyzed.

Results In Xinjiang wheat materials, the SOD activity of TaSOD-B1a genotype materials was significantly P introduced varieties (lines) > self-bred varieties (lines); three of the spring wheat varieties (lines) in Xinjiang had the TaSOD-B1a genotype, and the early varieties (lines) did not contain the TaSOD-B1a genotype. The SOD activity of winter wheat varieties (lines) with TaSOD-B1a genotype in Xinjiang was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that with TaSOD-B1b genotype. Among them, the SOD activity of the materials with TaSOD-B1a genotype in the introduced varieties (lines) was significantly (P<0.05) higher than that of the materials with TaSOD-B1b genotype.

Conclusion The wheat varieties (lines) in Xinjiang mainly contained TaSOD-B1b genotype related to low SOD activity. The functional marker primer SOD-5B1 can effectively distinguish the level of SOD activity in wheat grains, and then can be effectively selected materials with allelic variation types related to high SOD activity, and further promote the genetic improvement of wheat quality in Xinjiang.