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ARS Home » Northeast Area » Beltsville, Maryland (BARC) » Beltsville Agricultural Research Center » Soybean Genomics & Improvement Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #430014
Research Project: Characterization and Utilization of Genetic Diversity in Soybean and Common Bean and Management and Utilization of the National Rhizobium Genetic Resource Collection

Location: Soybean Genomics & Improvement Laboratory

Title: GmSNAP14: a key contributor to soybean cyst nematode resistance in soybean

Author
item GAMAGE, VINAVI - University Of Georgia
item USIVSKY, MARIOLA - University Of Missouri
item MAHMOOD, ANSER - University Of Missouri
item DE MEYER, ELIZABETH - University Of Missouri
item MEINHARDT, CLINTON - University Of Missouri
item DHITAL, BISHNU - University Of Missouri
item Song, Qijian
item BEAMER, LESA - University Of Missouri
item SCABOO, ANDREW - University Of Missouri
item MITCHUM, MELISSA - University Of Georgia

Submitted to: New Phytologist
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 2/2/2026
Publication Date: 3/4/2026
Citation: Gamage, V., Usivsky, M., Mahmood, A., De Meyer, E., Meinhardt, C., Dhital, B., Song, Q., Beamer, L., Scaboo, A., Mitchum, M. 2026. GmSNAP14: a key contributor to soybean cyst nematode resistance in soybean. New Phytologist. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.71037.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.71037

Interpretive Summary: Soybean plants are frequently attacked by soybean cyst nematode (SCN). The nematode feeds on the soybean roots, causing severe crop losses. This study found that a gene called GmSNAP14 plays a crucial role in soybean resistance to SCN. Researchers at University of Georgia, University of Missouri and USDA, Beltsville, Maryland compared two related soybean varieties—Pickett (moderately susceptible) and Peking (more resistant)—and found that differences in the GmSNAP14 gene explain why the Peking variety is more resistant to the nematode. Resistant plants carry a specific version of the GmSNAP14 gene with small DNA deletions or insertions. These changes result in a reduction in the protein produced by the gene or a slight alteration in the protein's form. Both effects appear to block the nematode's ability to utilize the plant's normal cellular transport mechanisms, making it more difficult for the nematode to feed. When scientists used CRISPR gene-editing technology to completely shut down the GmSNAP14 gene, soybean resistance was further enhanced. This discovery will help plant breeders to develop stronger and more durable nematode-resistant soybean varieties through selective breeding or precise gene editing of this gene.

Technical Abstract: Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) plants counteract soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines Ichinohe) infection through an impairment of soluble N-ethylmaleimide-sensitive factor (NSF) attachment protein (a-SNAP) – NSF interactions and vesicular trafficking leading to cellular toxicity in response to nematode feeding. Through the use of a bi-parental mapping population from a cross between the SCN-resistant soybean cultivars Pickett x Peking, a major QTL on chromosome 14 was mapped to a confidence interval containing the GmSNAP14 gene. SCN-resistant genotypes were found to carry one of two variant GmSNAP14 alleles harboring either a deletion or an insertion in GmSNAP14. Expression of full-length transcripts was absent or markedly lower in plants carrying these alleles when compared to susceptible plants. In addition, the generation of deleted and/or alternatively-spliced isoforms coding for GmSNAP14 C-terminal variant proteins was pronounced in resistant plants, suggesting that SCN resistance may result from a combination of diminished GmSNAP14 expression and GmSNAP14 protein variants. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated knockout of GmSNAP14 enhanced resistance to SCN, consistent with susceptibility gene behavior indicating GmSNAP14 as a potential nematode virulence target. Our findings can be leveraged through the use of genome editing and native allele pyramiding approaches to develop resistant soybean cultivars.