Location: Plant Genetics Research
Project Number: 5070-21000-043-014-R
Project Type: Reimbursable Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: Oct 1, 2019
End Date: Dec 31, 2020
Objective:
The over-arching objective of this proposal is to understand the changes in metabolism that lead to enhanced soybean protein quality and improve the value of soybeans for producers in multiple growing regions within different maturity zones.
Approach:
Metabolite pool size and isotopic labeling experiments will be used to study the changes in biosynthetic and turnover pathways for amino acids that lead to the altered accumulation and balance of amino acids in protein and affect protein quality. Transcriptomics provided by collaborators will complement the labeling experiments. We will focus on central carbon metabolism and steps associated with the sulfur-containing amino acids using stable isotope (13C) experiments. Metabolic activity will be quantitatively analyzed by liquid chromatography linked to tandem mass spectrometers. Assessments of metabolism will guide efforts to improve soybean quality in hybrid lines transgenically in the future.
