Integrative Biology Journals
JIPB

J Integr Plant Biol. ›› 2023, Vol. 65 ›› Issue (11): 2490-2504.DOI: 10.1111/jipb.13553

• Metabolism and Biochemistry • Previous Articles     Next Articles

A recently evolved BAHD acetyltransferase, responsible for bitter soyasaponin A production, is indispensable for soybean seed germination

Jia Yuan1†, Liya Ma1†, Yan Wang1, Xindan Xu1,2, Rui Zhang3, Chengyuan Wang4, Wenxiang Meng3, Zhixi Tian2,5, Yihua Zhou1,2 and Guodong Wang1,2*   

  1. 1. State Key Laboratory of Plant Genomics, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China;
    2. College of Advanced Agricultural Sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100039, China;
    3. State Key Laboratory of Molecular Developmental Biology, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China;
    4. The Center for Microbes, Development and Health, Institute of Pasteur of Shanghai, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai 200031, China;
    5. State Key Laboratory of Plant Cell and Chromosome Engineering, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, The Innovative Academy of Seed Design, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
    †These authors contributed equally to this work.
    *Correspondence:Guodong Wang(gdwang@genetics.ac.cn)
  • Received:2023-06-16 Accepted:2023-08-04 Online:2023-08-07 Published:2023-11-01

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Abstract: Soyasaponins are major small molecules that accumulate in soybean (Glycine max) seeds. Among them, type-A soyasaponins, fully acetylated at the terminal sugar of their C22 sugar chain, are responsible for the bitter taste of soybean-derived foods. However, the molecular basis for the acetylation of type-A soyasaponins remains unclear. Here, we identify and characterize GmSSAcT1, encoding a BADH-type soyasaponin acetyltransferase that catalyzes three or four consecutive acetylations on type-A soyasaponins in vitro and in planta. Phylogenetic analysis and biochemical assays suggest that GmSSAcT1 likely evolved from acyltransferases present in leguminous plants involved in isoflavonoid acylation. Loss-of-function mutants of GmSSAcT1 exhibited impaired seed germination, which attribute to the excessive accumulation of null-acetylated type-A soyasaponins. We conclude that GmSSAcT1 not only functions as a detoxification gene for high accumulation of type-A soyasaponins in soybean seeds but is also a promising target for breeding new soybean varieties with lower bitter soyasaponin content.

Key words: BAHD acyltransferase, seed germination, soyasaponin, soybean

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