Developmental regulators enable rapid and efficient soybean transformation and CRISPR-mediated genome editing.

Area of Science:

• Plant Biotechnology
• Molecular Biology
• Genetics

Background:

• Soybean transformation is inefficient, slow, and genotype-dependent, hindering genetic engineering.
• Current methods face challenges in efficiency and speed, limiting advancements in soybean improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a streamlined and efficient soybean transformation method using developmental regulators (DRs).
• To enhance de novo shoot regeneration directly from growing soybean plants, bypassing lengthy tissue culture steps.

Main Methods:

• Co-expression of WUSCHEL2 (WUS2) and isopentenyltransferase (IPT) developmental regulators.
• Direct regeneration from growing soybean plants without exogenous hormones or selection agents.
• Temporal transcriptomic and gene regulatory network analyses to understand WUS2/IPT function.

Main Results:

• Achieved high transformation efficiencies (14.6%–22.3%) in soybean varieties Williams 82 and Bert.
• Produced heritable transgenic events within 9–11 weeks.
• Successfully generated heritable CRISPR-Cas9 mutations with 20% efficiency.

Conclusions:

• The DR-enabled approach significantly enhances soybean transformation frequency and reduces tissue culture requirements.
• WUS2/IPT synergistically activate developmental pathways for efficient regenerative programming.
• This method provides a promising platform for rapid soybean genome editing and improvement.