Datasets for grain protein content, yield-related traits, and candidate genes in a durum wheat RIL population derived from a “hexaploid × tetraploid” interspecific cross

Data described in this article refer to the evaluation of genetic variability for quantity (grain protein content, GPC) and composition (HMW-glutenin subunits and gliadins) of seed storage proteins, and two yield components (grain yield per spike, GYS, and thousand-kernel weight, TKW) in a durum wheat recombinant inbred line (RIL) population derived by an interspecific cross between the common wheat accession 02-5B-318 and the durum cv. Saragolla. This article provides datasets relative to GPC, GYS and TKW collected in the two parents and in 135 durum RIL progenies from plants grown in field trials conducted in Valenzano (Metropolitan City of Bari, BA, Italy) by a randomized complete block design with three replicates. Data on GPC were acquired from Near-Infrared Reflectance on whole-meal flour and are expressed as percentage of proteins on a dry weight basis. Data relative to composition of seed storage proteins refer to high molecular weight glutenin subunits (encoded by Glu-A1 and Glu-B1 loci) and gliadins (encoded by Gli-B1 locus) extracted from whole-grain samples and identified based on their electrophoretic relative mobility on SDS-PAGE. This paper also provides datasets for the detection of quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for GPC, GYS, TKW on a durum wheat genetic linkage map previously developed in the same durum population genotyped with the Illumina 90 K iSelect SNP array. The present article finally supports information for the identification of candidate genes related to wheat grain quantity, composition, and yield by providing data relative to all the SNP markers mapped in the QTL confidence intervals for each trait of interest (GPC, GYS, TKW). Data described in this paper support the published original research article titled “Genetic variation for protein content and yield-related traits in a durum population derived from an inter-specific cross between hexaploid and tetraploid wheat cultivars” (Giancaspro et al., 2019).