Two paralogous seed protein trait-associated genes influence light and phytohormone signaling, maturity, and seed storage in soybean.

CRISPR/Cas9 editing of soybean paralogs Glyma.20G085100 (Gm20P) and Glyma.10G134400 (Gm10P) shows that the gm10p gm20p double mutant alters seed reserves, maturity, and hormone/light gene programs.

• Why it matters: The cqSeed protein-003 QTL is linked to seed protein variation, but how its paralogous candidate genes affect light and phytohormone signaling and development is unclear.
• What they did: Single and double mutants (including F2-derived gm10p and gm20p lines) were grown in field and growth-chamber conditions, followed by transcriptomic profiling and germination assays under salt and ABA.
• The result: The gm10p single and gm10p gm20p double mutants had significantly reduced seed protein with increased oil and starch, delayed maturity (field; short-day only in chamber), repression of light-signaling genes, JA upregulation, ABA/senescence suppression, IAA inhibition, and higher salt/ABA sensitivity during germination.