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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Columbia, Missouri » Plant Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #172741
Title: TOWARDS NORMALIZATION OF SOYBEAN SOMATIC EMBRYO MATURATION

Author
item SCHMIDT, MONICA
item TUCKER, DONNA - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA
item CAHOON, EDGAR
item PARROTT, WAYNE - UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA

Submitted to: Plant Cell Reports
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/21/2005
Publication Date: 4/22/2005
Citation: Schmidt, M.A., Tucker, D.M., Cahoon, E.B., Parrott, W.A. 2005. Towards normalization of soybean somatic embryo maturation. Plant Cell Reports. 24:383-391.

Interpretive Summary: The ability to introduce genes into plants through transformation techniques provides the basis for the biotechnological improvement of crops such as soybean. A commonly used method of soybean transformation involves the use of a tissue known as a somatic embryo. This tissue accumulates oil and protein in a manner very similar to seeds and provides a tool for predicting how introduced genes will affect the composition of soybean seeds. As described in this manuscript, the procedure for soybean transformation has been refined by alteration of the nutritive composition of the tissue culture media. The somatic embryos produced with this new procedure are larger and accumulate higher levels of protein and oil, which are beneficial features for biotechnological studies aimed at enhancing the compositional properties of soybean seeds. The results described in the manuscript are useful for molecular biologists and geneticists who are attempting to improve the nutritional properties of soybean seeds. The research will ultimately facilitate the biotechnological production of soybean lines with added value for US farmers and soy processors.

Technical Abstract: Soybean (Glycine max L. Merrill) somatic embryos have proven useful to assay seed-specific traits prior to plant recovery. The usefulness of soybean somatic embryos for the evaluation of seed-specific traits for transgenic or reverse genetics programs could be further enhanced if soybean somatic embryos more closely mimicked seed development. Amino acid supplements, carbon source, abscisic acid, and basal salt formulations were tested in an effort to modify the existing soybean embryogenesis histodifferentiation and maturation media to further normalize the development of soybean somatic embryos. The resultant liquid histodifferentiation and maturation medium consists of FNL basal salts, 3% sucrose, 3% sorbitol, filter-sterilized 30 mM glutamine and 1 mM methionine. This new formulation is termed Soybean Histodifferentiation and Maturation medium (SHaM). SHaM-derived somatic embryos are more similar to seed in terms of protein and fatty acid/lipid composition, than somatic embryos obtained from traditional soybean histodifferentiation and maturation media.