ARS | Publication request: Evaluation and QTL mapping of phosphorous concentration in soybean seed

Submitted to: Euphytica
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: September 12, 2012
Publication Date: January 1, 2013
Citation: King, K.E., Lauter, N.C., Lin, S., Scott, M.P., Shoemaker, R.C. 2013. Evaluation and QTL mapping of phosphorous concentration in soybean seed. Euphytica. 189(2):261-269.

Interpretive Summary: Phosphorous is an essential nutrient required for plant survival. It is also a major source of environmental stress due to agricultural run-off. Our understanding of the genetic control of phosphorous content in plants is quite limited. In this study the authors grew soybeans in multiple locations and measured the amount of phosphorous in each of the genetic lines. They mapped the location of chromosome regions that seemed to associate with changes in phosphorous amount in the seed. In each of the chromosomal locations identified, the authors found candidate genes that may plausibly be involved in affecting phosphorous content. This information is a first step toward our ability to control the amount of phosphorous in soybean seed and thus reduce the environmental impact from agricultural run-off.

Technical Abstract: Phosphorus (P) is an essential macronutrient required for many biological and metabolic plant functions. Phosphate is the form of P used by plants. Reducing the amount of P in the seed can further aide breeding efforts to reduce the amount of P released into the environment due to the indigestibility of the complexes formed with metal ions. Analysis of the variation of phosphorus concentration in soybean seed under non-stressed conditions revealed that phosphorus ranged from 3948.1 µg/g to 5695.8 µg/g total phosphorous (TP) in combined years. The averages for independent years were significantly different from one another. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) analysis of TP was performed to identify candidate gene(s) that is (are) involved in P accumulation in soybean seed. One putative QTL region was identified on chromosome 12 in the combined data that contained a phosphate transporter gene. Two additional suggestive QTL were identified on chromosomes 7 and 17 with chromosome 7 having both a phosphate transport gene and a ZIP transporter gene in the region of the QTL. There were additional genes in these regions that are involved in phosphate metabolism and transport.