Bread wheat is an allohexaploid consisting of three genetically related (homoeologous) genomes. The homoeologous chromosomes are capable of pairing but strict homologous pairing is observed at metaphase 1. The diploid-like pairing is regulated predominantly by Ph1, a gene mapped on long arm of chromosome 5B. We report direct evidence that a mutant of the gene (ph1b) arose from a submicroscopic deletion. A probe (XksuS1-5) detects the same missing fragment in two independent mutants ph1b and ph1c and a higher intensity fragment in a duplication of the Ph1 gene. It is likely that XksuS1-5 lies adjacent to Ph1 on the same chromosome fragment that is deleted in ph1b and ph1c. XksuS1-5 can be used to tag Ph1 gene to facilitate incorporation of genetic material from homoeologous genomes of the Triticeae. It may also be a useful marker in cloning Ph1 gene by chromosome walking.