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Genetic and Molecular Strategies to Soybean Improvement

A special issue of International Journal of Molecular Sciences (ISSN 1422-0067). This special issue belongs to the section "Molecular Plant Sciences".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2027 | Viewed by 706

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Guest Editor
National Engineering Laboratory for Crop Molecular Breeding, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China
Interests: soybean genetics and breeding
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr.) is one of the world's most economically important legume crops, providing essential protein and oil for human consumption, animal feed, and industrial applications. As global demand continues to increase amid challenges from climate change, pests, and diseases, there is an urgent need to accelerate crop improvement strategies. This Special Issue, "Genetic and Molecular Strategies to Soybean Improvement," brings together cutting-edge research that leverages modern genomic tools and molecular techniques to enhance soybean productivity, quality, and resilience. Topics encompass genome editing technologies such as CRISPR/Cas9, quantitative trait loci (QTL) mapping, marker-assisted selection, transcriptomic and proteomic analyses, and functional genomics approaches. Contributions explore genetic mechanisms underlying agronomically important traits including yield potential, stress tolerance (both biotic and abiotic), nutritional quality, nitrogen fixation efficiency, and adaptation to diverse environments. By showcasing innovative research that bridges fundamental molecular biology with practical breeding applications, this Special Issue will advance our understanding of soybean genetics and accelerate the development of improved cultivars that meet the demands of sustainable agriculture in the 21st Century.

Prof. Dr. Junming Sun
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • soybean
  • genome editing
  • CRISPR/Cas9
  • quantitative trait loci (QTL)
  • marker-assisted selection
  • functional genomics
  • molecular breeding
  • crop improvement
  • gene expression
  • genetics and breeding

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

21 pages, 8861 KB  
Article
Genome-Wide Identification of the Soybean UMAMIT Family and Functional Analysis of GmUMAMIT118 in Improving Seed Protein Content
by Yongjiang Bi, Yaohui Chen, Meirong Lang, Li Duan, Pei Song, Yudong Yang, Xiangxiang Ye, Yan Liu and Bangjun Wang
Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(16), 7079; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27167079 - 7 Aug 2026
Viewed by 262
Abstract
Seed protein content, oil content, and yield are key agronomic traits that determine the economic value of soybean. For decades, soybean has served as a leading source of plant protein for human and animal nutrition due to its high protein concentration. Manipulating amino [...] Read more.
Seed protein content, oil content, and yield are key agronomic traits that determine the economic value of soybean. For decades, soybean has served as a leading source of plant protein for human and animal nutrition due to its high protein concentration. Manipulating amino acid transporters to regulate the direction of nitrogen allocation represents a promising strategy for improving seed protein content. Multiple studies have employed this strategy by targeting amino acid importers. Recently, the Usually Multiple Amino acids Move In and Out Transporter (UMAMIT) family has been characterized as amino acid exporters; nevertheless, their role in regulating the seed protein content of soybean has not yet been investigated. In this study, we identified 120 soybean UMAMIT genes via a genome-wide search and designated them according to chromosomal location. Phylogenetic analysis grouped these genes into 10 clades (A–J). Whole-genome duplication (WGD)/segmental duplication served as the main driver of the GmUMAMIT family expansion, followed by tandem duplication. By integrating transcriptome data with QTL/GWAS loci, we identified twelve candidate genes associated with seed protein content and verified their expression patterns during seed development via qPCR. One candidate gene, GmUMAMIT118, was selected and overexpressed in Arabidopsis thaliana, resulting in transgenic lines with significantly higher seed protein content and yield. Collectively, these results provided a comprehensive overview of the soybean UMAMIT family and offered a preliminary exploration of its role in improving seed protein content. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Genetic and Molecular Strategies to Soybean Improvement)
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