Gene expression profiling of the green seed problem in Soybean

Author(s)

Teixeira, Renake N. ^{[1, 2]} ; Ligterink, Wilco ^[2] ; Franca-Neto, Jose de B. ^[3] ; Hilhorst, Henk W. M. ^[2] ; da Silva, Edvaldo A. A. ^[1]

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista, Fac Ciencias Agron UNESP, Dept Prod & Melhoramento Vegetal, BR-18610307 Botucatu, SP - Brazil

^[2] Wageningen Univ, Lab Plant Physiol, Wageningen Seed Lab, Droevendaalsesteeg 1, NL-6708 PB Wageningen - Netherlands

^[3] EMBRAPA Soja, Ctr Nacl Pesquisa Soja, Empresa Brasileira Pesquisa Agr, Caixa Postal 231, BR-86001970 Londrina, PR - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: BMC PLANT BIOLOGY; v. 16, FEB 1 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 10

Abstract

Background: Due to the climate change of the past few decades, some agricultural areas in the world are now experiencing new climatic extremes. For soybean, high temperatures and drought stress can potentially lead to the ``green seed problem{''}, which is characterized by chlorophyll retention in mature seeds and is associated with lower oil and seed quality, thus negatively impacting the production of soybean seeds. Results: Here we show that heat and drought stress result in a ``mild{''} stay-green phenotype and impaired expression of the STAY-GREEN 1 and STAY-GREEN 2 (D1, D2), PHEOPHORBIDASE 2 (PPH2) and NON-YELLOW COLORING 1 (NYC1\_1) genes in soybean seeds of a susceptible soybean cultivar. We suggest that the higher expression of these genes in fully mature seeds of a tolerant cultivar allows these seeds to cope with stressful conditions and complete chlorophyll degradation. Conclusions: The gene expression results obtained in this study represent a significant advance in understanding chlorophyll retention in mature soybean seeds produced under stressful conditions. This will open new research possibilities towards finding molecular markers for breeding programs to produce cultivars which are less susceptible to chlorophyll retention under the hot and dry climate conditions which are increasingly common in the largest soybean production areas of the world. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 10/19878-8 - Retention of chlorophyll in soybean seeds (Glycine max (L.) Merr.): physiological, biochemical and molecular studies
• Grantee: Renake Nogueira Teixeira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• FAPESP's process: 10/20263-8 - Retention of chlorophyll in soybean seeds (Glycine max (L.) Merr.): physiological, biochemical and molecular studies
• Grantee: Edvaldo Aparecido Amaral da Silva
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 12/09453-5 - Retention of chlorophyll in soybean seeds (Glycine max (L.) Merr.): physiological, biochemical and molecular studies
• Grantee: Renake Nogueira Teixeira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate