Reference Report for RTN20151127.3
Title: | Expression data from soybean seed compartments with embryos at the globular stage |
Authors: | Le, B.H., Wagmaister, J.A., Kawashima, T., Bui, A.Q., Harada, J.J., Goldberg, R.B. |
Source: | Plant Physiol 2007, 144(2):562-74 |
Abstract: | Seeds are essential for flowering plant reproduction because they protect, nourish, and contain the developing embryo that represents the next sporophytic generation. In addition, seeds contain energy resources that sustain the young sporophyte during germination before photosynthesis begins. In legumes, food reserves stored in embryonic cotyledons make seeds important as a food source for both human and animal consumption. For example, soybean (Glycine max) is now one of the most important seed crops in the world (Wilcox, 2004). Research on legume seed development has led to direct applications, such as seeds with more nutrients (Kinney, 1998; Wang et al., 2003; Krishnan, 2005), reduced allergens (Herman et al., 2003), and novel constituents, such as edible vaccines (Moravec et al., 2007). In the current genomic era, it is now possible to begin to understand what genes are required to make a legume seed and how regulatory networks are interconnected in legume genomes to program seed formation. In the future, this information should permit novel approaches to breed and engineer legume seeds with new agronomic traits and, most importantly, help provide a sustainable food supply for a growing human population. This Update outlines how our laboratories have been using legumes and functional genomics to identify genes that program legume seed development. |