Genome-Wide Association Study of Partial Resistance to P. sojae in Wild Soybeans from Heilongjiang Province, China.

Phytophthora root rot (PRR) is a destructive disease of soybeans (Glycine max (L.) Merr) caused by Phytophthora sojae (P. sojae). The most effective way to prevent the disease is growing resistant or tolerant varieties. Partial resistance provides a more durable resistance against the pathogen compared to complete resistance. Wild soybean (Glycine soja Sieb. & Zucc.) seems to be an extraordinarily important gene pool for soybean improvement due to its high level of genetic variation. In this study, 242 wild soybean germplasms originating from different regions of Heilongjiang province were used to identify resistance genes to P. sojae race 1 using a genome-wide association study (GWAS). A total of nine significant SNPs were detected, repeatedly associated with P. sojae resistance and located on chromosomes 1, 10, 12, 15, 17, 19 and 20. Among them, seven favorable allelic variations associated with P. sojae resistance were evaluated by a t-test. Eight candidate genes were predicted to explore the mechanistic hypotheses of partial resistance, including Glysoja.19G051583, which encodes an LRR receptor-like serine/threonine protein kinase protein, Glysoja.19G051581, which encodes a receptor-like cytosolic serine/threonine protein kinase protein. These findings will provide additional insights into the genetic architecture of P. sojae resistance in a large sample of wild soybeans and P. sojae-resistant breeding through marker-assisted selection.

Identification and expression profiles analysis of odorant-binding proteins in soybean aphid, Aphis glycines (Hemiptera: Aphididae).

The soybean aphid, Aphis glycines, is an extreme specialist and an important invasive pest that relies on olfaction for behaviors such as feeding, mating, and foraging. Odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) play a vital role in olfaction by binding to volatile compounds and by regulating insect sensing of the environment. In this work we used rapid amplification of complementary DNA ends technology to identify and characterize 10 genes encoding A. glycines OBPs (AglyOBPs) belonging to 3 subfamilies, including 4 classic OBPs, 5 Plus-C OBPs, and one Minus-C OBP. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction demonstrated variable specific expression patterns for the 10 genes based on developmental stage and aphid tissue sampled. Expression levels of 7 AglyOBPs (2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, and 10) were highest in the 4th instar, indicating that the 4th nymphal instar is an important developmental period during which soybean aphids regulate feeding and search for host plants. Tissue-specific expression results demonstrated that AglyOBP2, 7, and 9 exhibited significantly higher expression levels in antennae. Meanwhile, ligand-binding analysis of 5 OBPs demonstrated binding of AglyOBP2 and AglyOBP3 to a broad spectrum of volatiles released by green leaf plants, with bias toward 6- to 8-carbon chain volatiles and strong binding of AglyOBP7 to trans-ß-farnesene. Taken together, our findings build a foundation of knowledge for use in the study of molecular olfaction mechanisms and provide insights to guide future soybean aphid research.