How are the transcription factors ABI3 and ABI5 associated with chlorophyll retention in soybean seeds?

• Grant number: 21/03209-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2021
• End date: June 30, 2022
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Edvaldo Aparecido Amaral da Silva
• Grantee: Isabela Lopes dos Santos
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Agronômicas (FCA). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 17/50211-9 - Genetic and molecular basis of chlorophyll in seeds: a step forward to improve soybean adaptability to climate change, AP.TEM

Abstract

Chlorophyll degradation is an important step during the maturation of soybean seeds, since its retention affects the physiological quality of the seeds and their related products. Abscisic acid (ABA) has a great contribution to the reduction of chlorophyll content in seeds and leaves. However, to find out whether ABA signaling / transduction is a key aspect for greening seeds, studies of transcription factors should be performed. Transcription factors ABSCISIC ACID INSENSITIVE (ABI) are often associated with the route ofABA signaling and cross-transduction. Studies have identified that FT ABI3 works as a regulator in the removal of greening through the control transcriptional family STAY-GREEN (SGR) and ABI5 as a prominent regulator of late maturation in legume seeds. Thus, the objective of this work was to study the gene expression of ABI3 and ABI5 in the conditions that lead to chlorophyll retention in soybean seeds. The seeds will be produced under controlled conditions of ideal temperature and humidity (control group) and under stressors for the promotion of green seeds (stress group). The pods of the stress and control groups will be collected at R9. The greening characterizationwill be by visual and biochemical analysis and after the classification of green seeds, it will be gene expression was performed, with the ABI3 and ABI5 genes being the targets of the study. It is expected that this study will verify the role of these transcription factors in the degradation of chlorophyll in soybean seeds to assist future genetic transformation programs and / or conventional breeding.