High molecular weight glutenin subunits are mainly responsible to the viscoelastic properties of dough and the bread-making quality of wheat cultivars. The association between glutenins alleles and end-use quality of Brazilian wheat cultivars is still incipient. Efficient protocols to characterize glutenin allele composition are required. At Embrapa Wheat, two methods of extraction for the characterization of HMW-GS and LMW-GS profiles have been employed since 80s. The first one is a local adaptation of different protocols where different classes of storage proteins are extracted in a single step. The second protocol is proposed as a simplification of sequential extraction of specific classes of storage proteins. Both methods were compared regarding time analysis and quality of results. In 2007, the establishment of a routine for glutenin analyses using a single extraction protocol improved the quality of electrophoretic profiles and it made possible the utilization of the same grain samples for the characterization of HMW-GS and LMW-GS.

Index terms: wheat, storage proteins, baking quality, method