AUTHOR=Knizia Dounya , Anil Erdem , Salhi Yasser , Shi Haiying , El Baze Abdelhalim , Kassem My Abdelmajid , Lakhssassi Naoufal , Nguyen Henry T. , Meksem Khalid 

TITLE=Improving Soybean Seed Sucrose Content using TILLING by Sequencing Analyses of The Soybean Sucrose Synthase Gene Family

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=Volume 16 - 2025

YEAR=2025

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2025.1606321

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2025.1606321

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=Soybean seed quality is influenced by its soluble sugar composition, with high sucrose content being desirable for nutritional and industrial applications. In contrast, excessive raffinose and stachyose levels are considered undesirable due to their adverse effects on gastrointestinal function in humans and monogastric animals. Therefore, developing soybean mutant lines with elevated sucrose content and optimal raffinose and stachyose content is desirable. In this study, we characterized twelve sucrose synthase genes through a comprehensive phylogenetic tree analysis, synteny analysis, gene structure evaluation, and variations in conserved domains. Additionally, we conducted a TILLING by Sequencing approach to identify EMS mutations in the characterized Sucrose synthase genes. Numerous mutations have been identified in soybean sucrose synthases that resulted in high sucrose content, including the sucrose synthases mutants SL446 (R582W) and F1115 (G249E) on Glyma.02G240400 with a sucrose content of 9.5% and 9.1%, respectively. The obtained soybean mutants with enhanced sugar content can be useful in breeding programs to improve soybean nutritional quality without potential developmental trade-offs.