Soybean growers widely use the
R
esistance to
H
eterodera
g
lycines
1 (
Rhg1
) locus to reduce yield losses caused by soybean cyst nematode (SCN).
Rhg1
is a tandemly repeated four gene block. Two classes of SCN resistance‐conferring
Rhg1
haplotypes are recognized:
rhg1‐a
(“Peking‐type,” low‐copy number, three or fewer
Rhg1
repeats) and
rhg1‐b
(“PI 88788‐type,” high‐copy number, four or more
Rhg1
repeats). The
rhg1‐a
and
rhg1‐b
haplotypes encode α‐SNAP (alpha‐
S
oluble
N
SF
A
ttachment
P
rotein) variants α‐SNAP
Rhg1
LC and α‐SNAP
Rhg1
HC, respectively, with differing atypical C‐terminal domains, that contribute to SCN resistance. Here we report that
rhg1‐a
soybean accessions harbor a copia retrotransposon within their
Rhg1 Glyma.18G022500
(α‐SNAP‐encoding) gene. We termed this retrotransposon “
RAC,
” for
R
hg1
a
lpha‐SNAP
c
opia. Soybean carries multiple
RAC
‐like retrotransposon sequences. The
Rhg1 RAC
insertion is in the
Glyma.18G022500
genes of all true
rhg1‐a
haplotypes we tested and was not detected in any examined
rhg1‐b
or
Rhg1
WT
(single‐copy) soybeans.
RAC
is an intact element residing within intron 1, anti‐sense to the
rhg1‐a α‐SNAP
open reading frame.
RAC
has intrinsic promoter activities, but overt impacts of
RAC
on transgenic α‐SNAP
Rhg1
LC mRNA and protein abundance were not detected. From the native
rhg1‐a RAC
+
genomic context, elevated α‐SNAP
Rhg1
LC protein abundance was observed in syncytium cells, as was previously observed for α‐SNAP
Rhg1
HC (whose
rhg1‐b
does not carry
RAC
). Using a SoySNP50K SNP corresponding with
RAC
presence, just ~42% of USDA accessions bearing previously identified
rhg1‐a
SoySNP50K SNP signatures harbor the
RAC
insertion. Subsequent analysis of several of these putative
rhg1‐a
accessions lacking
RAC
revealed that none encoded
α‐SNAP
Rhg1
LC
, and thus, they are not
rhg1‐a
.
...