Evaluation of Germplasm Resources, Molecular Breeding, and Utilization in Soybean

A special issue of Agronomy (ISSN 2073-4395). This special issue belongs to the section "Crop Breeding and Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 15 October 2025 | Viewed by 366

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education (Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology and Breeding/Genetics of Chinese Agriculture Ministry), Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
Interests: crop genetics and breeding; genomics and utilization; gene discovery and functional analysis; soybean genomics; QTL/association mapping; molecular/classical plant breeding; disease resistance
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Over the past decades, significant advancements have been made in the evaluation of germplasm resources and molecular breeding in soybeans, enhancing yield, quality, and stress resistance of soybean. This Special Issue of Agronomy aims to explore the latest developments in this field, focusing on the identification, characterization, and utilization of soybean germplasm. Topics of interest include genetic diversity, advanced molecular breeding techniques, and the integration of genomic tools to accelerate breeding programs. We will highlight cutting-edge research such as CRISPR-based gene editing, genomic selection, and the development of high-throughput phenotyping methods. We invite original research articles and reviews that provide innovative insights and practical applications in germplasm evaluation and molecular breeding. Contributions addressing challenges and proposing novel solutions for sustainable soybean production are particularly welcome. This issue aims to serve as a comprehensive resource for researchers and practitioners dedicated to advancing soybean breeding and genetics.

Potential topics include, but are not limited to, the following:

  • Discovery and characterization of important soybean germplasm resources;
  • High-throughput methods for phenotypic evaluation in soybean;
  • QTL mapping and marker-assisted selection;
  • GWAS and genomic selection/prediction;
  • Molecular breeding by design;
  • Genotype–environment interactions;
  • Identification of key genes regulating important soybean traits.

Prof. Dr. Yingpeng Han
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • soybean
  • germplasm evaluation
  • molecular breeding
  • beneficial allelic variation
  • molecular marker
  • gene function

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

17 pages, 4496 KiB  
Article
GmGGDR Gene Confers Abiotic Stress Tolerance and Enhances Vitamin E Accumulation in Arabidopsis and Soybeans
by Xiaofang Yu, Jinghong Li, Yanting Bie, Xinfeng Cheng, Qingyun Zheng, Nan Li, Weili Teng, Yongguang Li, Yingpeng Han and Haiyan Li
Agronomy 2025, 15(2), 351; https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15020351 - 29 Jan 2025
Viewed by 255
Abstract
Vitamin E, comprising tocopherols and tocotrienols, is a crucial fat-soluble antioxidant that helps maintain intracellular redox homeostasis in plants when they are under stress. Soybeans are a significant source of natural vitamin E. GGDR catalyzes the formation of phytyl diphosphate (PDP), a key [...] Read more.
Vitamin E, comprising tocopherols and tocotrienols, is a crucial fat-soluble antioxidant that helps maintain intracellular redox homeostasis in plants when they are under stress. Soybeans are a significant source of natural vitamin E. GGDR catalyzes the formation of phytyl diphosphate (PDP), a key vitamin E precursor, and it is involved in chlorophyll degradation. The GmGGDR gene, identified via RNA-seq in soybean germplasms with high and low vitamin E contents, encodes GGDR, a key enzyme involved in both vitamin E synthesis and chlorophyll degradation. This study shows that the GmGGDR-encoded protein is hydrophilic and stable, predominantly expressed in leaves, and markedly responsive to gibberellins. The GmGGDR gene enhances the tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis and soybean plants to salt and drought stresses; transgenic soybeans overexpressing GmGGDR exhibited an approximately 8-fold increase in POD activity, with no significant changes in SOD and CAT activities. Moreover, the GmGGDR gene enhances the levels of α-, γ-, δ-, and total tocopherol content in transgenic soybean and Arabidopsis plants and also increases the chlorophyll a levels in the leaves of these transgenic plants. The increases in α-tocopherol, γ-tocopherol, and δ-tocopherol and total tocopherol in transgenic Arabidopsis seeds ranged from 177.8% to 600.0%, 42.9% to 90.0%, 17.6% to 292.9%, and 71.4% to 127.3% over the control, respectively. Similarly, transgenic soybeans exhibited a minimum increase of 42.9%, 27.8%, 7.1%, and 25.0% in these tocopherol fractions. Overexpression of GmGGDR also significantly elevated chlorophyll a levels in the leaves of these transgenic plants by 33.3–112.5%. This study preliminarily elucidated the function of the GmGGDR gene. It provides a theoretical foundation for further research. It presents a novel strategy for the genetic enhancement of soybean vitamin E content. Full article
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