Updated October 27, 2017:
Progress is being made in each of the project’s 3 main objectives/KPI’s, albeit with no final results yet offered. Only one of many constructs, developed to determine regulation of oil content, was viable enough to conduct tests: overexpression of the enzyme malate dehydrogenase (MDH). Tissue is being collected to determine if N and oil content were actually affected. Phenotype screening of 25,000 mutants generated by fast neutron mutagenesis have identified unique phenotypes such as high protein. Seed of these selected phenotypes were collected and their progeny grown in growth chamber to enable the sampling of tissue for analysis of the trait and to genotype the line. For the third objective, numerous genes of common bean have been found to match several of those in soybean. The expression pattern of each will be compared to perhaps detail better the function of certain genes in soybean.

The new emphasis of this project on characterizing the fast-neutron mutants is just beginning and opening up a whole new area of genetic diversity in soybean. Mutants have been developed that otherwise would not have been created in nature. The job is now to characterize them genetically (genotype) and physical trait expression (phenotype) to identify those that have desirable traits, such as high protein, to warrant inclusion into a breeding program to capture the mutants’ unique traits.

Initial progress has been made to identify several genes responsible for controlling the manufacture of oil content in soybean. Additional work will be required to effectively be able to modify oil content in soybean.