Research Initiation Award: Multi-locus Genome-Wide Association Study and Gene Expression Analysis of Anticancer Peptide Lunasin in Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.) Seeds

研究启动奖为历史悠久的黑人学院和大学的初级和职业生涯中期教师提供支持，这些教师正在建立新的研究计划或重新定向和重建现有的研究计划。预计该奖项有助于进一步提高教师的研究能力和有效性，改善所在机构的研究和教学，并让本科生参与研究经验。授予费耶特维尔州立大学的奖项提供了一个机会，以增强该机构的遗传和基因组能力。大豆中的生物活性分子将被研究。学生将接受培训，以获得实地研究、生物信息学、计算机编程、基因组学和蛋白质组学方面的经验，并接受使用最先进设备的培训。[MERR.]种子含有多种对健康有潜在益处的植物化学物质。作为大豆种子中的生物活性分子之一，新月菌素在动物实验和体外实验中显示出显著的防癌、抗氧化和降胆固醇作用。然而，据我们所知，目前还没有对大豆新月菌素遗传基础和产生新月菌素的候选基因进行遗传研究。本研究的目的是：(1)利用多位点全基因组关联研究方法，在大豆种质资源中鉴定月桂素含量的遗传变异，包括数量性状核苷酸(QTN)及其相关的单核苷酸多态(SNP)标记；(2)从定位小组中筛选出月桂素含量高且稳定的优良品系用于大豆性状改良；(3)分析候选基因的表达，以验证QTN在大豆植株中生产月桂素的有效性。与LUNASIN含量相关的QTNS和SNP标记信息将被用于分子育种计划，以培育出种子品质更好、防癌效果更好的大豆优良品种。拟议研究的结果将填补先进的临床治疗成功与缺乏遗传基因信息之间的差距。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Research Initiation Awards provide support for junior and mid-career faculty at Historically Black Colleges and Universities who are building new research programs or redirecting and rebuilding existing research programs. It is expected that the award helps to further the faculty member's research capability and effectiveness, improve research and teaching at the home institution, and involves undergraduate students in research experiences. The award to Fayetteville State University provides an opportunity to enhance genetic and genomic capabilities at the institution. Bioactive molecules in soybeans will be studied. Students will be trained to gain experience in field research, bioinformatics, computer programming, genomics, and proteomics and receive training in the use of state-of-the art equipment.Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] seeds contain a variety of phytochemicals that have potential health benefits. As one of the bioactive molecules in soybean seeds, lunasin has shown remarkable cancer–preventive properties, antioxidant, and hypocholesterolemic effects in animal and in vitro trials. However, the genetic bases of lunasin inheritance and candidate genes for lunasin production in soybean have not been investigated genetically to the best of our knowledge. This research is aimed at: (1) identify genetic variants including quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) and their associated single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers for lunasin contents in the soybean germplasm collection using multi-locus genome-wide association study (GWAS) approach, (2) select elite lines from the mapping panel with high and stable lunasin contents for soybean trait improvement, (3) analyze candidate gene expression to validate QTNs for lunasin productions in soybean plants. The information of QTNs and SNP markers associated with lunasin contents will be used in molecular breeding programs to produce elite soybean cultivars with better seed quality and cancer prevention. The findings of the proposed studies will seal the gap between advanced clinical therapeutic success and lack of genetic information for lunasin inheritance.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.