Candidate genes modulating reproductive timing in elite US soybean lines identified in soybean alleles of Arabidopsis flowering orthologs with divergent latitude distribution

Authors: DIETZ, NICHOLAS - University Of Missouri; CHAN, YEN ON - University Of Missouri; SCABOO, ANDREW - University Of Missouri; GRAEF, GEORGE - University Of Nebraska; HYTEN, DAVID - University Of Nebraska; HAPP, MARY - University Of Nebraska; DIERS, BRIAN - University Of Illinois; LORENZ, AARON - University Of Minnesota; WANG, DECHUN - Michigan State University; JOSHI, TRUPTI - University Of Missouri; Bilyeu, Kristin

Submitted to: Frontiers in Plant Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/8/2022
Publication Date: 4/29/2022
Citation: Dietz, N., Chan, Y., Scaboo, A., Graef, G., Hyten, D., Happ, M., Diers, B., Lorenz, A., Wang, D., Joshi, T., Bilyeu, K.D. 2022. Candidate genes modulating reproductive timing in elite US soybean lines identified in soybean alleles of Arabidopsis flowering orthologs with divergent latitude distribution. Frontiers in Plant Science. 13. Article 889066. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.889066.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.889066

Interpretive Summary: Soybean varieties are classified into different maturity groups that are optimized for crop production in different geographic locations. The maturity group system optimizes the soybean genetic responses to photoperiod in different latitudes. The major genes E1, E2, and E3 have been shown to have the most effect on soybean photoperiod response, but smaller effect genes have been difficult to identify. Based on relatedness to characterized flowering time genes in a model plant species, this research describes the identification of eight genes and variant alleles as candidate contributors to photoperiod response for soybean cultivars released in the US. Soybean cultivars. New knowledge and gene targets resulting from this work will facilitate soybean breeding selection for appropriate flowering time and maturity.

Technical Abstract: Adaptation of soybean cultivars to the photoperiod in which they are grown is critical for optimizing plant yield. However, despite its importance, only the major loci conferring variation in flowering time and maturity of US soybean have been isolated. By contrast, over 200 genes contributing to floral induction in the model organism Arabidopsis thaliana have been described. In this work, putative alleles of a library of soybean orthologs of these Arabidopsis flowering genes were tested for their latitudinal distribution among elite US soybean lines developed in the United States. Furthermore, variants comprising the alleles of genes with significant differences in latitudinal distribution were assessed for amino acid conservation across disparate genera to infer their impact on gene function. From these efforts, several candidate genes from various biological pathways were identified that are likely being exploited toward adaptation of US soybean to various maturity groups.