National Science Foundation-Sponsored Workshop Report. Draft Plan for Soybean Genomics

Abstract

Recent efforts to coordinate and define a research strategy for soybean (Glycine max) genomics began with the establishment of a Soybean Genetics Executive Committee, which will serve as a communication focal point between the soybean research community and granting agencies. Secondly, a workshop was held to define a strategy to incorporate existing tools into a framework for advancing soybean genomics research. This workshop identified and ranked research priorities essential to making more informed decisions as to how to proceed with large scale sequencing and other genomics efforts. Most critical among these was the need to finalize a physical map and to obtain a better understanding of genome microstructure. Addressing these research needs will require pilot work on new technologies to demonstrate an ability to discriminate between recently duplicated regions in the soybean genome and pilot projects to analyze an adequate amount of random genome sequence to identify and catalog common repeats. The development of additional markers, reverse genetics tools, and bioinformatics is also necessary. Successful implementation of these goals will require close coordination among various working groups.

The Development of an Efficient Multipurpose Bean Pod Mottle Virus Viral Vector Set for Foreign Gene Expression and RNA Silencing

“…The availability of the soybean genome sequence, microarray data sets, and an extensive EST collection provides various lists of candidate gene sequences to test for function in association with important soybean traits. The VIGS approach is an important component of the soybean functional genomics tool box (Stacey et al, 2004;Jackson et al, 2006). Five viruses, Clover yellow vein virus (ClYVV), Apple latent spherical virus (ALSV), Cucumber mosaic virus, SMV, and BPMV, have been developed as soybean functional genomics tools (Masuta et al, 2000;Wang et al, 2006;Zhang and Ghabrial, 2006;Nagamatsu et al, 2007;Igarashi et al, 2009).…”

A Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization System for Karyotyping Soybean

“…More recently, soybean has become a valuable resource for biodiesel, an increasingly important alternative to fossil fuels. Thus, the importance of soybean as a major crop justifies the investment of substantial resources toward sequencing of the genome and the development of functional genomic tools (Stacey et al 2004;Jackson et al 2006). A significant milestone was the recent completion of the complete genome sequence (Schmutz et al 2010).…”

“…Williams 82 (G. max W82), the standard cultivar chosen for sequencing (Stacey et al 2004;Jackson et al 2006;Schmutz et al 2010). Our second objective was to use pseudomolecule-derived BAC clones to identify individual chromosomes in metaphase spreads.…”

Application of somatic embryos to rapid and reliable analysis of soybean seed components by RNA interference-mediated gene silencing

“…One of the major goals of functional genomics in soybean is to characterize the process of seed development, given that soybean seeds are an important source of protein, oil, and secondary metabolites (Stacey et al 2004). Genetic transformation is an essential technique for verification of gene function, and genetic transformation of soybean has become routine with wellestablished methods mediated by Agrobacterium or particle bombardment (Finer and Mcmullen 1991;Kita et al 2007;Olhoft et al 2003;Sato S. et al 1993;Zeng et al 2004).…”