Gene Regulatory Processes and Networks Required to Make a Soybean Seed

University Of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

Gene Regulatory Processes Required to Make a Soybean Seed PI: Robert B. Goldberg (University of California Los Angeles) Co-PIs: John J. Harada (University of California Davis) and Matteo Pellegrini (University of California Los Angeles) During the next 50 years, more food must be produced on less land than has been required during the entire history of humankind. A major challenge for the 21st century, therefore, is to increase the yield of major crop plants, such as soybean, using state-of-the-art genetic technologies. Seeds represent a major source of food for human and animal consumption and the long-term goal of this project is to understand all the regulatory networks required to make a seed. In the process, novel approaches can be designed for increasing seed yield and, therefore, food production. Soybean is ideal for this kind of study because soybean seeds are one of the largest sources of protein feed and vegetable oil in the world, providing $30 billion annually in farm value to the U.S. Also, soybean seeds have been well studied at the cell and molecular level and the full soybean genome sequence is now available. This research project will characterize all aspects of soybean seed development from embryo inception to seed dormancy. To accomplish this goal, the project will use a laser to cut and capture individual cells and sequence their genomes. Three types of genomic data will then be studied including: (1) mRNA sequence sets, (2) microRNA populations, and (3) DNA methylation patterns of specific soybean seed compartments. This project will integrate these datasets and will thereby provide a comprehensive view of all the interacting genetic components needed to make a soybean seed. Proper seed development impacts the synthesis and storage of proteins and carbohydrates needed for human nutrition. By identifying the networks operating during seed filling, this project will provide a new genetic toolkit for future use. The sequence data generated will be deposited and available at GenBank, through the project website (http://seedgenenetwork.net/) and at SoyBase, the portal for the soybean genome sequence. Undergraduates majoring in both science and humanities from three universities, including a historically African-American university, will also participate in this project in order to experience the excitement of scientific discovery and the role plant genomics plays in society.