The soybean crop, Glycine max (L.) Merr., is consumed by humans, Homo sapiens, worldwide. While the respective bodies of literature and -omics data for each of these organisms are extensive, comparatively few studies investigate the molecular biological processes occurring between the two. We are interested in elucidating the network of protein–protein interactions (PPIs) involved in human–soybean allergies. To this end, we leverage state-of-the-art sequence-based PPI predictors amenable to predicting the enormous comprehensive interactome between human and soybean. A network-based analytical approach is proposed, leveraging similar interaction profiles to identify candidate allergens and proteins involved in the allergy response. Interestingly, the predicted interactome can be explored from two complementary perspectives: which soybean proteins are predicted to interact with specific human proteins and which human proteins are predicted to interact with specific soybean proteins. A total of eight proteins (six specific to the human proteome and two to the soy proteome) have been identified and supported by the literature to be involved in human health, specifically related to immunological and neurological pathways. This study, beyond generating the most comprehensive human–soybean interactome to date, elucidated a soybean seed interactome and identified several proteins putatively consequential to human health.

Soybean is a valuable crop, used in animal feed and for human consumption. Selecting soybean cultivars with low seed cadmium (Cd) concentration is important for the purpose of minimizing the transfer of Cd into the human body. To ensure international trade, farmers need to produce soybean that meets the European Union (EU) Cd limit of 0.2 mg kg−1. In this study, we evaluated two populations of recombinant inbred lines (RILs), X5154 and X4050, for seed Cd accumulation. Linkage maps were constructed with 325 and 280 polymorphic simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, respectively, and used to identify a novel minor quantitative trait locus (QTL) on chromosome 13 in the X4050 population between SSR markers Satt522 and Satt218. Based on a gene ontology search within the QTL region, seven genes were identified as candidates responsible for low seed Cd accumulation, including Glyma.13G308700 and Glyma.13G309100. In addition, we confirmed the known major gene, Cda1, in the X5154 population and developed KASP and CAPS/dCAPS allele-specific markers for efficient marker-assisted breeding for Cda1.

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] is a valuable crop, with benefits attributed to its high protein and oil content, in addition to its nitrogen fixating capabilities. To expand production across Canada, breeding programs will need the availability of markers linked to desired traits, including time of flowering and maturity. The E7 locus is among the 10 maturity loci identified in this pathway, whose underlying gene remains unknown. Using functional genomics resources, and a computational approach utilizing PIPE (Protein-protein Interaction Prediction Engine), this region was narrowed to a short-list of candidates, including 3 promising candidates:Glyma.06G200400, Glyma.06G200800, and Glyma.06G220000. From the expression analysis performed to date, Glyma.06G199800 and Glyma.06G233300, were found to have significant change in expression between the E7/e7 lines in contrasting flowering stages during long-day (LD) photoperiod. However, additional expression analysis on the remaining candidate's, along with further experimentation needs to be performed to reveal the underlying gene for E7.