A functional genomics approach in identifying the underlying gene for the E8 maturity locus in soybean (Glycine max).

CSPB-SCBV 2020AbstractsVirtual Meeting –Real Biology388-1 A functional genomics approach in identifying the underlying gene for the E8 maturity locus in soybean (Glycine max)Arezo Pattang1, 2, Elroy Cober1, Ashkan Golshani2, Bahram Samanfar1, 21Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, 2Carleton UniversitySoybean is one of the largest sources of vegetable oil and protein in the world, and also an important legume crop to the Canadian economy. Time of flowering and maturity are among important factors when adapting soybean into a wide range of latitudes, particularly regions with longer days (i.e. Northern and Western regions of Canada). Currently, 11 maturity loci have been identified, with the underlying gene for almost one-third of these loci, including E8, still unknown. Through classical genetic studies and genome-wide SSR marker analysis, we have identified the E8 locus within an ~20 kbp region on chromosome 4, consisting of ~1000 genes. Through the integration of various “-omics” approaches, including a bioinformatics tool (PIPE: Protein-protein interactionprediction engine), gene ontology, along with molecular biology related approaches including; DNA sequencing, expression analysis, etc., 3 potential candidates have been identified. Belonging to either the FAR1/FHY3 family, or the PhrB and Cryptochrome C superfamily, all 3 candidates contain a amino acid contrast between the E8/e8 genotypes; and a premature stop codon before an important functional domain. Further ongoing investigations, includingtransformation analysis in Arabidopsis as well as phenotypic analysis via blue/red light exposure will determine the underlying gene. This will eventually lead to the development of allele-specific marker for the E8 gene/locus, which will contribute to soybean breeding programs.