Soybean genomics research community strategic plan: A vision for 2024-2028.

This strategic plan summarizes the major accomplishments achieved in the last quinquennial by the soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] genetics and genomics research community and outlines key priorities for the next 5 years (2024-2028).

Genetic basis and selection of glyceollin elicitation in wild soybean.

Glyceollins, a family of phytoalexins elicited in legume species, play crucial roles in environmental stress response (e.g., defending against pathogens) and human health.

Nematocidal Potential of Phenolic Acids: A Phytochemical Seed-Coating Approach to Soybean Cyst Nematode Management.

Soybeans, one of the most valuable crops worldwide, are annually decimated by the soybean cyst nematode (SCN), , resulting in massive losses in soybean yields and economic revenue. Conventional agricultural pesticides are generally effective in the short term; however, they pose growing threats to human and environmental health; therefore, alternative SCN management strategies are urgently needed. Preliminary findings show that phenolic acids are significantly induced during SCN infection and exhibit effective nematocidal activities in vitro.

Neonatal outcomes after gamma-aminobutyric acid analog use during pregnancy: a meta-analysis of cohort studies.

Background: Gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analogs are being used by an increasing number of reproductive-age women. However, there is concern regarding the teratogenic potential of GABA analogs.

Methods: We performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the relationship between GABA analog exposure and risk of adverse neonatal outcomes.

Important Role of Estrogen in Distinguishing Depression and Schizophrenia and Prognostic Judgment of MECT.

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the role of estrogen in the differential diagnosis of depression and schizophrenia and its relationship with the curative effects, adverse events.

Methods: From 2017 to 2019, patients with depression or schizophrenia treated with modern electroconvulsive therapy (MECT) were studied retrospectively. Their serum estrogen levels, Hamilton Depression Scale, and Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale scores were collected.

POWR1 is a domestication gene pleiotropically regulating seed quality and yield in soybean.

Seed protein, oil content and yield are highly correlated agronomically important traits that essentially account for the economic value of soybean. The underlying molecular mechanisms and selection of these correlated seed traits during soybean domestication are, however, less known. Here, we demonstrate that a CCT gene, POWR1, underlies a large-effect protein/oil QTL.

Bridging the Gaps between Plant and Human Health: A Systematic Review of Soyasaponins.

Saponins, prominent secondary plant metabolites, are recognized for their roles in plant defense and medicinal benefits. Soyasaponins, commonly derived from legumes, are a class of triterpenoid saponins that demonstrate significant potential for plant and human health applications. Previous research and reviews largely emphasize human health effects of soyasaponins.

From Fighting Critters to Saving Lives: Polyphenols in Plant Defense and Human Health.

Polyphenols, such as flavonoids and phenolic acids, are a group of specialized metabolites in plants that largely aid in plant defense by deterring biotic stressors and alleviating abiotic stress. Polyphenols offer a wide range of medical applications, acting as preventative and active treatments for diseases such as cancers and diabetes. Recently, researchers have proposed that polyphenols may contribute to certain applications aimed at tackling challenges related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Transcriptome profiling reveals the spatial-temporal dynamics of gene expression essential for soybean seed development.

Background: Seeds are the economic basis of oilseed crops, especially soybeans, the most widely cultivated oilseed crop worldwide. Seed development is accompanied by a multitude of diverse cellular processes, and revealing the underlying regulatory activities is critical for seed improvement.

Results: In this study, we profiled the transcriptomes of developing seeds at 20, 25, 30, and 40 days after flowering (DAF), as these stages represent critical time points of seed development from early to full development.

Novel resistance strategies to soybean cyst nematode (SCN) in wild soybean.

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycine Ichinohe) is the most damaging soybean pest worldwide and management of SCN remains challenging. The current SCN resistant soybean cultivars, mainly developed from the cultivated soybean gene pool, are losing resistance due to SCN race shifts. The domestication process and modern breeding practices of soybean cultivars often involve strong selection for desired agronomic traits, and thus, decreased genetic variation in modern cultivars, which consequently resulted in limited sources of SCN resistance.

Plant adaptation to climate change - Where are we?

Climate change poses critical challenges for population persistence in natural communities, agriculture and environmental sustainability, and food security. In this review, we discuss recent progress in climatic adaptation in plants. We evaluate whether climate change exerts novel selection and disrupts local adaptation, whether gene flow can facilitate adaptive responses to climate change, and if adaptive phenotypic plasticity could sustain populations in the short term.

NaCO-responsive Photosynthetic and ROS Scavenging Mechanisms in Chloroplasts of Alkaligrass Revealed by Phosphoproteomics.

Alkali-salinity exerts severe osmotic, ionic, and high-pH stresses to plants. To understand the alkali-salinity responsive mechanisms underlying photosynthetic modulation and reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis, physiological and diverse quantitative proteomics analyses of alkaligrass (Puccinellia tenuiflora) under NaCO stress were conducted. In addition, Western blot, real-time PCR, and transgenic techniques were applied to validate the proteomic results and test the functions of the NaCO-responsive proteins.

Genetic Architecture of Early Vigor Traits in Wild Soybean.

A worldwide food shortage has been projected as a result of the current increase in global population and climate change. In order to provide sufficient food to feed more people, we must develop crops that can produce higher yields. Plant early vigor traits, early growth rate (EGR), early plant height (EPH), inter-node length, and node count are important traits that are related to crop yield.

Neglected treasures in the wild - legume wild relatives in food security and human health.

The legume family (Fabaceae) is the third-largest flowering family with over 18 000 species worldwide that are rich in proteins, oils, and nutrients. However, the production potential of legume-derived food cannot meet increasing global demand. Wild legumes represent a large group of wild species adaptive to diverse habitats and harbor rich genetic diversity for the improvement of the agronomic, nutritional, and medicinal values of the domesticated legumes.

Transcriptome profiling of a beach-adapted wild legume for dissecting novel mechanisms of salinity tolerance.

Strophostyles helvola is a close relative to common bean (Phaseolus vulgaris) and inhabits both coastal and non-coastal regions in North America. However, the mechanism of saline adaptation in S. helvola remains unclear.

The Untapped Genetic Reservoir: The Past, Current, and Future Applications of the Wild Soybean ().

There is a considerable demand for crop improvement, especially considering the increasing growth of world population, continuing climatic fluctuations, and rapidly evolving plant pests and pathogens. Crop wild relatives hold great potential in providing beneficial alleles for crop improvement. Wild soybean, (Siebold & Zucc.

RNA-seq data comparisons of wild soybean genotypes in response to soybean cyst nematode ().

Soybean [ (L.) Merr.] is an important crop rich in vegetable protein and oil, and is a staple food for human and animals worldwide.

Comparative RNA-Seq Analysis Uncovers a Complex Regulatory Network for Soybean Cyst Nematode Resistance in Wild Soybean (Glycine soja).

Soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is the most damaging pest of soybean worldwide. The molecular mechanism of SCN resistance remains largely unknown. We conducted a global RNA-seq comparison between a resistant genotype (S54) and a susceptible genotype (S67) of Glycine soja, the wild progenitor of soybean, to understand its regulatory network in SCN defense.

Salt tolerance response revealed by RNA-Seq in a diploid halophytic wild relative of sweet potato.

Crop wild relatives harbor exotic and novel genetic resources, which hold great potential for crop improvement. Ipomoea imperati is a wild diploid relative of sweet potato with the capability of high salinity tolerance. We compared the transcriptomes of I.

Genetic Characterization of the Soybean Nested Association Mapping Population.

A set of nested association mapping (NAM) families was developed by crossing 40 diverse soybean [ (L.) Merr.] genotypes to the common cultivar.

Genetic architecture of wild soybean (Glycine soja) response to soybean cyst nematode (Heterodera glycines).

The soybean cyst nematode (SCN) is one of the most destructive pathogens of soybean plants worldwide. Host-plant resistance is an environmentally friendly method to mitigate SCN damage. To date, the resistant soybean cultivars harbor limited genetic variation, and some are losing resistance.

Identification of QTL with large effect on seed weight in a selective population of soybean with genome-wide association and fixation index analyses.

Background: Soybean seed weight is not only a yield component, but also a critical trait for various soybean food products such as sprouts, edamame, soy nuts, natto and miso. Linkage analysis and genome-wide association study (GWAS) are two complementary and powerful tools to connect phenotypic differences to the underlying contributing loci. Linkage analysis is based on progeny derived from two parents, given sufficient sample size and biological replication, it usually has high statistical power to map alleles with relatively small effect on phenotype, however, linkage analysis of the bi-parental population can't detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) that are fixed in the two parents.

Whole-genome duplication and molecular evolution in Cornus L. (Cornaceae) - Insights from transcriptome sequences.

The pattern and rate of genome evolution have profound consequences in organismal evolution. Whole-genome duplication (WGD), or polyploidy, has been recognized as an important evolutionary mechanism of plant diversification. However, in non-model plants the molecular signals of genome duplications have remained largely unexplored.

A genome-wide association study of seed composition traits in wild soybean (Glycine soja).

Background: Cultivated soybean (Glycine max) is a major agricultural crop that provides a crucial source of edible protein and oil. Decreased amounts of saturated palmitic acid and increased amounts of unsaturated oleic acid in soybean oil are considered optimal for human cardiovascular health and therefore there has considerable interest by breeders in discovering genes affecting the relative concentrations of these fatty acids. Using a genome-wide association (GWA) approach with nearly 30,000 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we investigated the genetic basis of protein, oil and all five fatty acid levels in seeds from a sample of 570 wild soybeans (Glycine soja), the progenitor of domesticated soybean, to identify quantitative trait loci (QTLs) affecting these seed composition traits.

Back into the wild-Apply untapped genetic diversity of wild relatives for crop improvement.

Deleterious effects of climate change and human activities, as well as diverse environmental stresses, present critical challenges to food production and the maintenance of natural diversity. These challenges may be met by the development of novel crop varieties with increased biotic or abiotic resistance that enables them to thrive in marginal lands. However, considering the diverse interactions between crops and environmental factors, it is surprising that evolutionary principles have been underexploited in addressing these food and environmental challenges.