ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Plant Sci.
Sec. Functional and Applied Plant Genomics
Genetic variation in storage protein and starch biosynthesis genes reveals key associations with seed composition in pea (Pisum sativum)
Provisionally accepted
- 1Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
- 2copenhagen university, Copenhagen, Denmark
Select one of your emails
You have multiple emails registered with Frontiers:
Notify me on publication
Please enter your email address:
If you already have an account, please login
You don't have a Frontiers account ? You can register here
Understanding the genetic basis of seed storage proteins and starch biosynthesis in pea (Pisum sativum) is critical for breeding programs aimed at enhancing seed quality, functional properties and nutritional value. In this study, we selected 36 genes encoding storage proteins and 28 genes involved in starch synthesis through literature mining and BLAST analysis. Using these genes as references, we sequenced 64 genomic regions associated with storage proteins and starch metabolic enzymes in 100 genetically diverse global pea accessions. Targeted sequencing of these genes yielded 8793 genetic variants, of which 2573 high-quality single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers were retained for further analysis. Population structure and genetic diversity assessments revealed a complex genetic landscape with no clear clustering by geographical origin or material types. However, dendrograms constructed from principal components derived from SNP markers revealed a clear clustering of accessions according to their protein and starch content, thereby validating the influence of variants in the targeted genes on these traits. Gene-to-phenotype regression analysis identified key genes significantly associated with protein and starch content including legumin, provicilin and starch-branching enzyme. Protein content of studied accessions ranged from 19.5 to 37.7%, and starch content from 23.8 to 47.3%, highlighting the substantial phenotypic variation. Furthermore, a strong negative correlation (r = -0.71, p < 0.001) was observed between seed wrinkling and starch content consistent with the documented role of genetic variation in starch biosynthesis in determining seed texture. These findings provide valuable insights into the genetic architecture of storage protein and starch biosynthesis in pea and offer a foundation for targeted breeding strategies aimed at improving seed composition and functional properties.
Keywords: Pisum sativum, Storage proteins, starch pathway, genetic diversity, targeted gene sequencing, SNP markers
Received: 04 Aug 2025; Accepted: 20 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Alemu, Anguluri, Yuan, Lametsch and Hammenhag. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Cecilia Hammenhag, cecilia.hammenhag@slu.se
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.