Gliadin proteins of 45 landraces and 27 improved cultivars of winter wheat were analyzed using A-PAGE. Bread making quality properties including protein content, Zeleny sedimentation, water absorption rate, bread loaf volume, SDS-sedimentation rate and grain hardness were measured. Polymorphism for all gliadin bands were observed among landraces and improved cultivars. Average number of gliadin bands were 28± 4.6 and 21±2.3 for landraces and improved cultivars, respectively, indicating higher genetic diversity in landraces compared to improved cultivars. Correlation analysis revealed positive and significant correlation between six gliadin bands including two ω-gliadins (4& 16), two γ- gliadins (43& 49), one β- gliadin (66), and one α- gliadin (79) and bread making quality properties. Whereas, some gliadin bands such as γ- gliadin (48) and α- gliadins (73, 78 and 80) showed negative and significant correlations with bread making quality properties. Statistical analysis based on informative bands for each quality property indicated the possible use of Gene Bank of SPII (Karaj, Iran) landraces such as 10425, 11071, 11484, in breeding programs for quality improvement of wheat cultivars.
