Long noncoding RNAs underlie multiple domestication traits and leafhopper resistance in soybean

Area of Science:

• Plant genetics
• Molecular biology
• Evolutionary biology

Background:

• The function and origin of long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are not well understood.
• lncRNAs play crucial roles in various biological processes, including gene regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the role of lncRNAs in soybean domestication.
• To elucidate the mechanism by which lncRNAs regulate gene expression and influence phenotypic traits.

Main Methods:

• Identification and characterization of lncRNA genes in wild and cultivated soybeans.
• Analysis of small RNA (sRNA) populations and their targets.
• Post-transcriptional gene silencing mechanisms were investigated.

Main Results:

• A locus with two tandem lncRNA genes, derived from MYB gene sequences, was identified as a quantitative trait locus for soybean domestication traits.
• In wild soybeans, these lncRNAs generate sRNAs that inhibit MYB gene expression.
• In cultivated soybeans, lncRNA expression is repressed, leading to high MYB gene expression, influencing domestication traits and leafhopper resistance.

Conclusions:

• lncRNA genes derived from MYB sequences are key regulators of soybean domestication.
• The evolution of lncRNA structure and function, particularly inverted repeats, predates the divergence of Glycine and Phaseolus-Vigna lineages.
• This study reveals a novel mechanism of lncRNA action and highlights lncRNAs as targets for selection during plant domestication.