Seed coat pigmentation in transgenic soybean expressing the silencing suppressor 2b gene of Cucumber mosaic virus.

Soybean expressing the Cucumber mosaic virus 2b gene manifests seed coat pigmentation due to suppression of endogenous RNA silencing but no other morphological abnormality. This gene may help prevent transgene silencing. RNA silencing is an important mechanism for gene regulation and antiviral defense in plants.

Suppressive mechanism of seed coat pigmentation in yellow soybean.

In soybean seeds, numerous variations in colors and pigmentation patterns exist, most of which are observed in the seed coat. Patterns of seed coat pigmentation are determined by four alleles (I, i(i), i(k) and i) of the classically defined I locus, which controls the spatial distribution of anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins in the seed coat. Most commercial soybean cultivars produce yellow seeds with yellow cotyledons and nonpigmented seed coats, which are important traits of high-quality seeds.

Accumulation of Potato spindle tuber viroid-specific small RNAs is accompanied by specific changes in gene expression in two tomato cultivars.

To better understand the biogenesis of viroid-specific small RNAs and their possible role in disease induction, we have examined the accumulation of these small RNAs in potato spindle tuber viroid (PSTVd)-infected tomato plants. Large-scale sequence analysis of viroid-specific small RNAs revealed active production from the upper portion of the pathogenicity and central domains, two regions previously thought to be underrepresented. Profiles of small RNA populations derived from PSTVd antigenomic RNA were more variable, with differences between infected Rutgers (severe symptoms) and Moneymaker (mild symptoms) plants pointing to possible cultivar-specific differences in small RNA synthesis and/or stability.

Endogenous RNA interference of chalcone synthase genes in soybean: formation of double-stranded RNA of GmIRCHS transcripts and structure of the 5' and 3' ends of short interfering RNAs.

In yellow soybean, seed coat pigmentation is inhibited via endogenous RNA interference (RNAi) of the chalcone synthase (CHS) genes. Genetic studies have shown that a single dominant gene, named the I gene, inhibits pigmentation over the entire seed coat in soybean. We previously isolated a candidate for the I gene from the yellow soybean genome with the I/I genotype, and designated it GmIRCHS.

Variation of GmIRCHS (Glycine max inverted-repeat CHS pseudogene) is related to tolerance of low temperature-induced seed coat discoloration in yellow soybean.

In yellow soybean, seed coat pigmentation is inhibited by post-transcriptional gene silencing (PTGS) of chalcone synthase (CHS) genes. A CHS cluster named GmIRCHS (Glycine max inverted-repeat CHS pseudogene) is suggested to cause PTGS in yellow-hilum cultivars. Cold-induced seed coat discoloration (CD), a commercially serious deterioration of seed appearance, is caused by an inhibition of this PTGS upon exposure to low temperatures.

Molecular mechanism of seed coat discoloration induced by low temperature in yellow soybean.

Seed coat pigmentation is inhibited in yellow soybean. The I gene inhibits pigmentation over the entire seed coat. In yellow soybean, seed coat discoloration occurs when plants are exposed to low temperatures after the onset of flowering, a phenomenon named 'cold-induced discoloration (CD)'.