Genetics and Genomics of Soybean

GeneticsandGenomicsofSoybean,EditedbyProfessorGaryStacey,isaremarkable collection of articles by internationally-recognized experts in the ?eld of soybean genomics – many of whom helped to develop the tools and resources necessary to establish soybean as a powerful crop to investigate important basic and applied questions of plant biology. This collection of articles provides a comprehensive up-to-date review of the ?eld of soybean genomics, and documents how far this ?eld has advanced in the last few years. From the vantage point of someone like myself who ?rst began investigatingthe organizationand expression of the soybean genome thirty years ago, the insights provided by the authors in this book in- cate that soybean has indeed “come of age,” and that decades-old mysteries of the soybean genome are now being illuminated. Genetics and Genomics of Soybean is divided into four sections: (1) soybean genome natural history and diversity – which includes chapters on the genetic variation of the soybean genome and its relationship to other legume genomes; (2) tools, resources, and approaches – which includes reviews of technological advances that are being used to study the s- bean genome – including the ?rst glimpse of how the soybean genome is being sequenced and assembled; (3) investigations of soybean biology – which contains chapters that review how genomics tools have been used to study important qu- tions – such as seed development, host-pathogen interactions, abiotic stress, and metabolic pathways; and (4) how Roundup Ready soybeans, generated by genetic engineering, have made an impact on global soybean agriculture.

The Fabaceae (leguminosae) comprise the second largest family of flowering plants with 650 genera and 18000 species. As a member of Phaseoleae, the most economically important legume tribe, the soybean, Glycine max (L.) Merr., constitutes a major source of vegetable oil and protein internationally. Recently, soybean oil has garnered considerable attention due to its increased use for biodiesel production. The extensive genetic resources of soybean and the associated physiological tools available to scientists present a set of unique opportunities to study areas ranging from seed development, to the biology of polyploidization, to a huge array of pathogenic and symbiotic plant-host interactions. The large plant size of soybean is advantageous to such studies, and permits the use of techniques that are difficult or impossible for practice on smaller plants. For these and additional reasons, soybean genomic research has seen major advances in recent years.

Genetics and Genomics of Soybean chronicles advances in soybean genomic research, while addressing and anticipating the potential for future discoveries in a rapidly evolving field. The book covers recent progress on genome research in soybeans, including the genetic map with classical, RFLP, SSR and SNP markers; genomic and cDNA libraries, functional genomics platforms (e.g., cDNA, Affymetrix and oligonucleotide based DNA microarrays); physical maps, and the efforts to fully sequence the genome. Given the pending release of the soybean genome sequence, through the efforts of the Department of Energy’s Joint Genome Institute, this book will stand as a critical source of information on soybean.

Dr. Gary Stacey is an MSMC Endowed Professor of Soybean Biotechnology and Professor of Plant Sciences and Biochemistry at the University of Missouri.