Mutations in the WUSCHEL-related homeobox1 gene cause an increased leaflet number in soybean
Yawei Li,
Li Chu,
Peiyun Lyu,
Wenhuan Lyu,
Ping Xie,
Chunting Zhang,
Haoxian Feng,
Bin Liu,
Tuanjie Zhao
Affiliations
Yawei Li
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture / Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory (ZSBBL) / National Innovation Platform for Soybean Breeding and Industry-Education Integration / State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization / College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Li Chu
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture / Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory (ZSBBL) / National Innovation Platform for Soybean Breeding and Industry-Education Integration / State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization / College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Peiyun Lyu
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture / Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory (ZSBBL) / National Innovation Platform for Soybean Breeding and Industry-Education Integration / State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization / College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Wenhuan Lyu
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture / Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory (ZSBBL) / National Innovation Platform for Soybean Breeding and Industry-Education Integration / State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization / College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Ping Xie
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture / Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory (ZSBBL) / National Innovation Platform for Soybean Breeding and Industry-Education Integration / State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization / College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Chunting Zhang
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture / Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory (ZSBBL) / National Innovation Platform for Soybean Breeding and Industry-Education Integration / State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization / College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Haoxian Feng
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture / Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory (ZSBBL) / National Innovation Platform for Soybean Breeding and Industry-Education Integration / State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization / College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China
Bin Liu
State Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Resources and Breeding, National Key Facility for Crop Gene Resources and Genetic Improvement, Institute of Crop Sciences, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing 100081, China; Corresponding authors.
Tuanjie Zhao
Key Laboratory of Biology and Genetics Improvement of Soybean, Ministry of Agriculture / Zhongshan Biological Breeding Laboratory (ZSBBL) / National Innovation Platform for Soybean Breeding and Industry-Education Integration / State Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics & Germplasm Enhancement and Utilization / College of Agriculture, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China; Corresponding authors.
WUSCHEL-related homeobox (WOX) transcription factors play a crucial role in lateral organ development in several plant species; however, their precise functions in soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) were unclear. Here, we identified two independent multi-leaflet soybean mutants, mlw48-8 and mlw48-161, from a CRISPR/Cas9-engineered mutant library in the Williams 82 background. Both mutants exhibited irregular leaf margins, and the upper leaves were narrow and almost lanceolate at maturity. Molecular analysis revealed that these are allelic mutants with independent mutations in the WUSCHEL-related homeobox1 (GmWOX1A) gene. A transcriptome analysis demonstrated that GmWOX1A modulates the expression of auxin- and leaf development–related genes. Yeast two-hybrid and split-luciferase complementation imaging assays revealed that GmWOX1A interacts with the YABBY family protein GmYAB5, providing further evidence of its potential involvement in leaf development. Notably, the mlw48-161 mutant showed an increased seed number per plant. Consequently, our study not only provides valuable insights into the role of GmWOX1A in soybean leaf development but also offers a potential strategy for high-yield breeding.
