Overexpression of <i>GmWRI1b</i> in soybean stably improves plant architecture and associated yield parameters, and increases total seed oil production under field conditions

et al. 2021

BMC Genomics

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. We identified a set of highly abundant genes and highlighted the importance of these genes in supporting nutrient accumulation and transcriptional regulation for seed development. We identified 8925 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that exhibited temporal expression patterns over the course and expression specificities in distinct tissues, including seeds and nonseed tissues (roots, stems, and leaves). Genes specific to nonseed tissues might have tissue-associated roles, with relatively low transcript abundance in developing seeds, suggesting their spatially supportive roles in seed development. Coexpression network analysis identified several underexplored genes in soybeans that bridge tissue-specific gene modules. Conclusions Our study provides a global view of gene activities and biological processes critical for seed formation in soybeans and prioritizes a set of genes for further study. The results of this study help to elucidate the mechanism controlling seed development and storage reserves.

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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

Zhang

et al. 2021

BMC Genomics

“…In plants, several transcription factors (TFs), including SQUAMOSA PROMOTER‐BINDING PROTEIN‐LIKE (SPL) (Bao et al ., 2019; Jiao et al ., 2010; Liu et al ., 2019; Miura et al ., 2010; Sun et al ., 2019), RELATED TO ABI3/VP1‐LIKE 1 (RAVL1) (Je et al ., 2010; Tian et al ., 2019), WRINKLED1 (Guo et al ., 2020) and BRANCHED 1 (BRC1) TFs (van Rongen et al ., 2019; Seale et al ., 2017; Shen et al ., 2019), have a great role in regulating plant architecture. In addition, the BLIND genes, encoding proteins with an R2R3‐MYB domain, have been reported to regulate the lateral meristems in tomato ( Solanum lycopersicum ) (Schmitz et al ., 2002) and Arabidopsis thaliana (Muller et al ., 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Overexpression of GmMYB14 improves high‐density yield and drought tolerance of soybean through regulating plant architecture mediated by the brassinosteroid pathway

Chen

Plant Biotechnology Journal

Fang

et al. 2020

Self Cite

118

Summary MYB transcription factors (TFs) have been reported to regulate the biosynthesis of secondary metabolites, as well as to mediate plant adaption to abiotic stresses, including drought. However, the roles of MYB TFs in regulating plant architecture and yield potential remain poorly understood. Here, we studied the roles of the dehydration‐inducible GmMYB14 gene in regulating plant architecture, high‐density yield and drought tolerance through the brassinosteroid (BR) pathway in soybean. GmMYB14 was shown to localize to nucleus and has a transactivation activity. Stable GmMYB14‐overexpressing (GmMYB14‐OX) transgenic soybean plants displayed a semi‐dwarfism and compact plant architecture associated with decreased cell size, resulting in a decrease in plant height, internode length, leaf area, leaf petiole length and leaf petiole angle, and improved yield in high density under field conditions. Results of the transcriptome sequencing suggested the involvement of BRs in regulating GmMYB14‐OX plant architecture. Indeed, GmMYB14‐OX plants showed reduced endogenous BR contents, while exogenous application of brassinolide could partly rescue the phenotype of GmMYB14‐OX plants. Furthermore, GmMYB14 was shown to directly bind to the promoter of GmBEN1 and up‐regulate its expression, leading to reduced BR content in GmMYB14‐OX plants. GmMYB14‐OX plants also displayed improved drought tolerance under field conditions. GmBEN1 expression was also up‐regulated in the leaves of GmMYB14‐OX plants under polyethylene glycol treatment, indicating that the GmBEN1‐mediated reduction in BR level under stress also contributed to drought/osmotic stress tolerance of the transgenic plants. Our findings provided a strategy for stably increasing high‐density yield and drought tolerance in soybean using a single TF‐encoding gene.

“…The conservation in some regulatory processes of seed development between soybean and model plant Arabidopsis was revealed [7,13]. The homolog-based cloning approach has been successfully used in identifying related genes in soybean [14,15]. However, it has been indicated that functions for many of soybean genes, with their Arabidopsis homologous genes having demonstrated roles in seed development and nutrient accumulation, have been modi ed in the palaeopolyploid soybean, such as ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3b (ABI3b) functioning like LEAFY COTYLEDON 2 (LEC2) [16] and WRINKLED1 (WRI1) also associated with plant architecture other than its homologous role in affecting oil production [14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The homolog-based cloning approach has been successfully used in identifying related genes in soybean [14,15]. However, it has been indicated that functions for many of soybean genes, with their Arabidopsis homologous genes having demonstrated roles in seed development and nutrient accumulation, have been modi ed in the palaeopolyploid soybean, such as ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE 3b (ABI3b) functioning like LEAFY COTYLEDON 2 (LEC2) [16] and WRINKLED1 (WRI1) also associated with plant architecture other than its homologous role in affecting oil production [14]. Each of these major regulators such as LEC1, ABI3, ABA-RESPONSIVE ELEMENT BINDING PROTEIN3 (AREB3), BASIC LEUCINE ZIPPER67 (bZIP67) putatively regulated thousands of targets, as revealed by Chip-Seq assays [17]; meanwhile, these target gene sets involved in the control of diverse developmental processes by their mosaic combinations as coordinated by the regulators, and they functioned temporally but their regulated processes were partially overlapped spatially [17].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptome Profiling Reveals Spatial-temporal Dynamics of Gene Expression Essential for Soybean Seed Development

Zhang

et al. 2020

Preprint

Background: Seeds are the economic basis of oilseed crops, especially for soybean, thus far the most widely cultivated oilseed crop worldwide. Seed development is accompanied with a multitude of diverse cellular processes and revealing the underlying regulatory activities is critical for seed improvement. Results: Here, we profiled transcriptomes of developing seeds (20, 25, 30, 40 days after flowering) representing key points of seed development from early to full development. We identified a set of highly-abundant genes and highlighted the importance of these genes to support nutrient accumulation and transcriptional regulation in developing seeds. We identified 8,925 differentially expressed genes that exhibited temporal expression patterns over the course and had expression specificities in distinct tissues including seeds and non-seed tissues (roots, stems, leaves). Genes with specificities to non-seed tissues have tissue-specialized roles while remain relatively low transcript abundance in developing seeds, exhibiting their supportive roles spatially for seed development. Co-expression network analysis identified several under-explored genes in soybean that bridge tissue-specific gene modules. Conclusions: Our study provides a global view of gene activities and biological processes critical for seed formation in soybean and prioritizes a set of genes for further study. The results shed insight into the mechanism controlling seed development and storage reserves.