Natural variation in GmSW17 controls seed size in soybean

Natural variation in GmSW17 controls seed size in soybean

Blog Article

Abstract Seed size/weight plays an important role in determining crop yield, yet only few genes controlling seed size have been characterized in soybean.Here, we perform a genome-wide association study and identify a major quantitative trait locus (QTL), named GmSW17 (Seed here Width 17), on chromosome 17 that determine soybean seed width/weight in natural population.GmSW17 encodes a ubiquitin-specific protease, an ortholog to UBP22, belonging to the ubiquitin-specific protease (USPs/UBPs) family.Further functional investigations reveal that GmSW17 interacts with GmSGF11 and GmENY2 to form a deubiquitinase (DUB) module, which influences H2Bub levels and negatively regulates the expression of GmDP-E2F-1, thereby inhibiting the G1-to-S transition.

Population analysis demonstrates that GmSW17 undergo artificial selection during soybean domestication but has not been fixed in modern breeding.In summary, our study identifies here a predominant gene related to soybean seed weight, providing potential advantages for high-yield breeding in soybean.