Detecting SNPs underlying domestication-related traits in soybean.

Area of Science:

• Plant genetics
• Crop domestication
• Population genetics

Background:

• Cultivated soybean (Glycine max) underwent significant genetic bottlenecking during domestication and subsequent selection.
• This loss of diversity impacts crop resilience and breeding potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate signals of selection in soybean during and after domestication.
• To identify genetic loci associated with domestication-related traits.

Main Methods:

• Genotyping of 65 wild (Glycine soja) and 353 cultivated soybean accessions.
• Analysis of 552 single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) loci.
• Application of the Fst outlier test to detect selection signals.

Main Results:

• Wild and cultivated soybean populations were genetically distinct.
• Sixty-four loci exhibited evidence of selection.
• Thirty-five loci indicated selection during domestication, and 29 showed prolonged post-domestication selection.
• Two SNP outliers were linked to testa color.

Conclusions:

• Understanding genes controlling domestication traits is crucial for crop diversity conservation.
• Detected SNP locus outliers serve as valuable markers for conserving wild soybean accessions.
• These markers can facilitate trait improvement in cultivated soybean gene pools.