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ARS Home » Midwest Area » Ames, Iowa » Corn Insects and Crop Genetics Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #312505
Title: Gaining insight into soybean defense responses using functional genomics approaches

Author
item LIU, JIAN-ZHONG - Zhejiang University
item Graham, Michelle
item Pedley, Kerry
item WHITHAM, STEVEN - Iowa State University

Submitted to: Briefings in Functional Genomics
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/19/2015
Publication Date: 3/31/2015
Citation: Liu, J., Graham, M.A., Pedley, K.F., Whitham, S.A. 2015. Gaining insight into soybean defense responses using functional genomics approaches. Briefings in Functional Genomics. DOI:10.1093/bfgp/elv009.

Interpretive Summary: Soybean pest and pathogens, such as bacteria, fungi and insects, reduce yield. In the United State alone, over 4 billion dollars in revenue is lost to these harmful pathogens each year. While resistant soybean cultivars with improved defense responses are continually being developed, pathogens are evolving to evade plant defense responses. It is critical that we identify new genes and pathways providing long-term resistance to multiple pathogens. In this review, we focus on the progress that has been made to identify genes that provide resistance to soybean cyst nematode and Asian soybean rust. In addition, we review how new research tools are making it easier to identify plant defense genes.

Technical Abstract: Soybean pathogens significantly impact yield, resulting in over 4 billion dollars in lost revenue annually in the United States alone as a result of disease. Despite the deployment of improved soybean cultivars, pathogens continue to evolve to evade plant defense responses. Thus, there is an urgent need to identify and characterize gene networks controlling defense responses to harmful pathogens. In this review, we focus on major advances that have been made in identifying the genes and gene networks regulating defense responses to Phakopsora pachyrhizi (Asian soybean rust) and Heterodera glycines (Soybean Cyst Nematode) with an emphasis on the technological advances that have enabled this research. Further we describe new research striving to identify genes involved in durable broad-spectrum resistance. Finally, we review future prospects for functional genomic studies in soybean and demonstrate that understanding soybean disease and stress tolerance will be expedited in an unprecedented pace.