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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Soybean Genomics & Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #401801
Research Project: Characterization of Genetic Diversity in Soybean and Common Bean, and Its Application toward Improving Crop Traits and Sustainable Production

Location: Soybean Genomics & Improvement Laboratory

Title: Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling soybean seed protein and oil content

Author
item CLEVINGER, ELIZABETH - Virginia Tech
item BIYASHEV, RUSLAN - Virginia Tech
item HAAK, DAVID - Virginia Tech
item Song, Qijian
item PILOT, GUILLAUME - Virginia Tech
item SAGHAI MAROOF, M - Virginia Tech

Submitted to: PLOS ONE
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/15/2023
Publication Date: 6/23/2023
Citation: Clevinger, E., Biyashev, R., Haak, D., Song, Q., Pilot, G., Saghai Maroof, M. 2023. Identification of quantitative trait loci controlling soybean seed protein and oil content. PLOS ONE. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286329.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0286329

Interpretive Summary: Soybeans are a major source of seed protein and oil globally. Increasing protein and oil content in soybean seeds will increase economic value for growers and processors. Although there are many reports on genes controlling protein and oil content, identification of unique genes responsible for high protein content remains a critical step in the development of high protein and high oil soybean varieties. In this study, populations were constructed by crossing the high protein content line with the low protein content line. This segregated population allowed the identification of two major genomic regions of protein and oil content on chromosome 2 and chromosome 15. These genes on chromosomes 2 and 15 have a greater influence on protein and oil content than previous studies have shown. The protein and oil loci identified in this study will aid in breeding to improve soybean nutritional quality, and their associated molecular markers will facilitate transfer of the genes to new soybean varieties.

Technical Abstract: Soybean is a major source of seed protein and oil globally with an average composition of 40% protein and 20% oil in the seed. The goal of this study was to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) conferring seed protein and oil content utilizing a population constructed by crossing an above average protein content line, PI 399084 to another line that had a low protein content value, PI 507429, both from the USDA soybean germplasm collection. The recombinant inbred line (RIL) population, PI 507429 x PI 399084, was evaluated in two replications in 2018-2021; the seeds were analyzed for seed protein and oil content using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy. The recombinant inbred lines and the two parents were re-sequenced using genotyping by sequencing; 12,770 molecular markers, the majority of which came from genotyping by sequencing, were mapped using DNA from F7 RILs. One QTL was identified on chromosome 2 explaining up to 56.8% of the variation for seed protein content and up to 43% for seed oil content. Another QTL identified on chromosome 15 explained up to 27.2% of the variation for seed protein and up to 41% of the variation for seed oil content. The protein and oil QTLs of this study and their associated molecular markers will be useful in breeding to improve nutritional quality in soybean.