ARS | Publication request: THE SOYBEAN GENOME: DUPLICATIVE, YET UNIQUE

Submitted to: Plant and Animal Genome VX Conference Abstracts
Publication Type: Abstract
Publication Acceptance Date: October 16, 2004
Publication Date: January 16, 2005
Citation: Shoemaker, R.C., Schlueter, J., Scheffler, B.E. 2005. The soybean genome: duplicative, yet unique. Plant and Animal Genome Abstracts. W207:Legumes.

Technical Abstract: It has been estimated that 50% to 70% of all flowering plants have polyploidy in their evolutionary history. The evolutionary history of soybean (Glycine max) includes at least two rounds of genome duplication. Evidence of these duplications can be observed on the genetic map with hybridization-based markers. Analysis of synonymous distances of paired soybean EST duplicates suggest that one duplication event occurred at approximately 14 MYA and another coinciding roughly to a period 45 - 50 MYA. After a large-scale duplication the homoeologous regions undergo a process of divergence called 'diploidization'. Diploidization results in genomic additions, deletions, rearrangements and changes in gene function. A sequencing project targeting homoeologous soybean BACs is resolving details of these events and marks the beginning the characterization of the polyploidy events of this important legume.