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Malik MR, Patterson N, Sharma N, Tang J, Burkitt C, Ji Y, Martino M, Hertig A, Schweitzer D, Peoples O, Snell KD. Polyhydroxybutyrate synthesis in Camelina: Towards coproduction of renewable feedstocks for bioplastics and fuels. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2023; 21:2671-2682. [PMID: 37610031 PMCID: PMC10651141 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.14162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2022] [Revised: 06/28/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Plant-based co-production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) and seed oil has the potential to create a viable domestic source of feedstocks for renewable fuels and plastics. PHAs, a class of biodegradable polyesters, can replace conventional plastics in many applications while providing full degradation in all biologically active environments. Here we report the production of the PHA poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate] (PHB) in the seed cytosol of the emerging bioenergy crop Camelina sativa engineered with a bacterial PHB biosynthetic pathway. Two approaches were used: cytosolic localization of all three enzymes of the PHB pathway in the seed, or localization of the first two enzymes of the pathway in the cytosol and anchoring of the third enzyme required for polymerization to the cytosolic face of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). The ER-targeted approach was found to provide more stable polymer production with PHB levels up to 10.2% of the mature seed weight achieved in seeds with good viability. These results mark a significant step forward towards engineering lines for commercial use. Plant-based PHA production would enable a direct link between low-cost large-scale agricultural production of biodegradable polymers and seed oil with the global plastics and renewable fuels markets.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nii Patterson
- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc.WoburnMassachusettsUSA
- Present address:
Aquatic and Crop Resource Development Research Center, National Research Council CanadaSaskatoonSaskatchewanCanada
| | | | - Jihong Tang
- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc.WoburnMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Yuanyuan Ji
- Yield10 Oilseeds, Inc.SaskatoonSaskatchewanCanada
| | - Matthew Martino
- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc.WoburnMassachusettsUSA
- Present address:
Middletown High SchoolMiddletownNew YorkUSA
| | - Andrew Hertig
- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc.WoburnMassachusettsUSA
- Present address:
Qualigen TherapeuticsCarlsbadCaliforniaUSA
| | - Dirk Schweitzer
- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc.WoburnMassachusettsUSA
- Present address:
Impact Nano, LLCDevensMassachusettsUSA
| | | | - Kristi D. Snell
- Yield10 Oilseeds, Inc.SaskatoonSaskatchewanCanada
- Yield10 Bioscience, Inc.WoburnMassachusettsUSA
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Zhang S, Du H, Ma Y, Li H, Kan G, Yu D. Linkage and association study discovered loci and candidate genes for glycinin and β-conglycinin in soybean (Glycine max L. Merr.). TAG. THEORETICAL AND APPLIED GENETICS. THEORETISCHE UND ANGEWANDTE GENETIK 2021; 134:1201-1215. [PMID: 33464377 DOI: 10.1007/s00122-021-03766-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2020] [Accepted: 01/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
KEY MESSAGE Linkage mapping and GWAS identified 67 QTLs related to soybean glycinin, β-conglycinin and relevant traits. Polymorphisms of the candidate gene Gy1 promoter were associated with the glycinin content in soybean. The major components of storage proteins in soybean seeds are glycinin and β-conglycinin, which play important roles in determining protein nutrition and soy food processing properties. Increasing the protein content while improving the ratio of glycinin to β-conglycinin is substantially important for soybean protein improvement. To investigate the genetic mechanism of storage protein subunits, 184 recombinant inbred lines (RILs) derived from a cross of Kefeng No. 1 and Nannong 1138-2 and 211 diverse soybean cultivars were used to detect loci related to glycinin (11S), β-conglycinin (7S), the sum of glycinin and β-conglycinin (SGC), and the ratio of glycinin to β-conglycinin (RGC). Sixty-seven QTLs and 11 hot genomic regions were identified as affecting the four traits. One genetic region (q10-1) on chromosome 10 was associated with multiple traits by both linkage and association analysis. Eight genes in 11 hot genomic regions might be related to soybean protein subunit. The candidate gene analysis showed that polymorphisms in Gy1 promoters were significantly correlated with the 11S content. The QTLs and candidate genes identified in the present study allow for further understanding the genetic basis of 11S and 7S regulation and provide useful information for marker-assisted selection (MAS) in soybean quality improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shanshan Zhang
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Hongyang Du
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Yujie Ma
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
| | - Haiyang Li
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China
| | - Guizhen Kan
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
| | - Deyue Yu
- National Center for Soybean Improvement, National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement, Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center for Modern Crop Production, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China.
- School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou, 510006, China.
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3
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Sánchez-Álvarez A, Ruíz-López N, Moreno-Pérez AJ, Martínez-Force E, Garcés R, Salas JJ. Agrobacterium-Mediated Transient Gene Expression in Developing Ricinus communis Seeds: A First Step in Making the Castor Oil Plant a Chemical Biofactory. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2019; 10:1410. [PMID: 31737023 PMCID: PMC6831639 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2019.01410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2019] [Accepted: 10/11/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
The castor oil plant represents a promising platform to produce oils with industrial applications. However, its use in biotechnology is limited by the absence of a well-established procedure to transform it, and a poor understanding of gene regulation and promoter use in this species. As such, a method has been developed to express proteins or hairpin-RNA in this plant, a method based on the direct injection of Agrobacterium into the developing endosperm of castor oil fruit, enabling different constructs and promoters to be tested. This method produces a high rate of transformation and a good proportion of viable seeds that express reporter genes for up to 20 days after infiltration (DAI). Gene expression under the control of different promoters was tested by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and by directly assaying the activity of the galactouronidase reporter gene, which proved to be strongest when driven by the glycinin promoter. Constructs expressing a fatty acid elongase from Lesquerella fendleri were tested, the expression of which provoked an important increase in the lesquerolic acid in the castor oil endosperm at 5 and 10 DAI, although this fatty acid did not accumulate significantly in the final mature seeds. The nature of this response could reflect the poor availability of substrates for this enzyme. In the light of this data, the potential of this technique to test promoters and different constructs in castor oil plants and other oilseeds is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alfonso Sánchez-Álvarez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Products, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | | | - Antonio Javier Moreno-Pérez
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Products, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Enrique Martínez-Force
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Products, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Rafael Garcés
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Products, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
| | - Joaquín J. Salas
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology of Plant Products, Instituto de la Grasa (CSIC), Sevilla, Spain
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4
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Henry KF, Bui AQ, Kawashima T, Goldberg RB. A shared cis-regulatory module activates transcription in the suspensor of plant embryos. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2018; 115:E5824-E5833. [PMID: 29866850 PMCID: PMC6016821 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1805802115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms controlling the transcription of gene sets in specific regions of a plant embryo shortly after fertilization remain unknown. Previously, we showed that G564 mRNA, encoding a protein of unknown function, accumulates to high levels in the giant suspensor of both Scarlet Runner Bean (SRB) and Common Bean embryos, and a cis-regulatory module containing three unique DNA sequences, designated as the 10-bp, Region 2, and Fifth motifs, is required for G564 suspensor-specific transcription [Henry KF, et al. (2015) Plant Mol Biol 88:207-217; Kawashima T, et al. (2009) Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106:3627-3632]. We tested the hypothesis that these motifs are also required for transcription of the SRB GA 20-oxidase gene, which encodes a gibberellic acid hormone biosynthesis enzyme and is coexpressed with G564 at a high level in giant bean suspensors. We used deletion and gain-of-function experiments in transgenic tobacco embryos to show that two GA 20-oxidase DNA regions are required for suspensor-specific transcription, one in the 5' UTR (+119 to +205) and another in the 5' upstream region (-341 to -316). Mutagenesis of sequences in these two regions determined that the cis-regulatory motifs required for G564 suspensor transcription are also required for GA 20-oxidase transcription within the suspensor, although the motif arrangement differs. Our results demonstrate the flexibility of motif positioning within a cis-regulatory module that activates gene transcription within giant bean suspensors and suggest that G564 and GA 20-oxidase comprise part of a suspensor gene regulatory network.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelli F Henry
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Anhthu Q Bui
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Tomokazu Kawashima
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
| | - Robert B Goldberg
- Department of Molecular, Cell, and Developmental Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095
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5
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Lee EJ, Oh M, Hwang JU, Li-Beisson Y, Nishida I, Lee Y. Seed-Specific Overexpression of the Pyruvate Transporter BASS2 Increases Oil Content in Arabidopsis Seeds. FRONTIERS IN PLANT SCIENCE 2017; 8:194. [PMID: 28265278 PMCID: PMC5316546 DOI: 10.3389/fpls.2017.00194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2016] [Accepted: 01/31/2017] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Seed oil is important not only for human and animal nutrition, but also for various industrial applications. Numerous genetic engineering strategies have been attempted to increase the oil content per seed, but few of these strategies have involved manipulating the transporters. Pyruvate is a major source of carbon for de novo fatty acid biosynthesis in plastids, and the embryo's demand for pyruvate is reported to increase during active oil accumulation. In this study, we tested our hypothesis that oil biosynthesis could be boosted by increasing pyruvate flux into plastids. We expressed the known plastid-localized pyruvate transporter BILE ACID:SODIUM SYMPORTER FAMILY PROTEIN 2 (BASS2) under the control of a seed-specific soybean (Glycine max) glycinin-1 promoter in Arabidopsis thaliana. The resultant transgenic Arabidopsis plants (OEs), which expressed high levels of BASS2, produced seeds that were larger and heavier and contained 10-37% more oil than those of the wild type (WT), but were comparable to the WT seeds in terms of protein and carbohydrate contents. The total seed number did not differ significantly between the WT and OEs. Therefore, oil yield per plant was increased by 24-43% in the OE lines compared to WT. Taken together, our results demonstrate that seed-specific overexpression of the pyruvate transporter BASS2 promotes oil production in Arabidopsis seeds. Thus, manipulating the level of specific transporters is a feasible approach for increasing the seed oil content.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eun-Jung Lee
- Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Plant Cell Biology Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and TechnologyPohang, South Korea
| | - Minwoo Oh
- Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Plant Cell Biology Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and TechnologyPohang, South Korea
| | - Jae-Ung Hwang
- Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Plant Cell Biology Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and TechnologyPohang, South Korea
| | - Yonghua Li-Beisson
- Department of Plant Biology and Environmental Microbiology, CEA/Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique/Aix-Marseille University, CEA CadaracheMarseille, France
| | - Ikuo Nishida
- Division of Life Science, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama UniversitySaitama, Japan
| | - Youngsook Lee
- Division of Integrative Biosciences and Biotechnology, Plant Cell Biology Laboratory, Pohang University of Science and TechnologyPohang, South Korea
- *Correspondence: Youngsook Lee
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6
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Malik MR, Yang W, Patterson N, Tang J, Wellinghoff RL, Preuss ML, Burkitt C, Sharma N, Ji Y, Jez JM, Peoples OP, Jaworski JG, Cahoon EB, Snell KD. Production of high levels of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate in plastids of Camelina sativa seeds. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2015; 13:675-88. [PMID: 25418911 DOI: 10.1111/pbi.12290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2013] [Accepted: 10/07/2014] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) production in plastids of Camelina sativa seeds was investigated by comparing levels of polymer produced upon transformation of plants with five different binary vectors containing combinations of five seed-specific promoters for expression of transgenes. Genes encoding PHB biosynthetic enzymes were modified at the N-terminus to encode a plastid targeting signal. PHB levels of up to 15% of the mature seed weight were measured in single sacrificed T1 seeds with a genetic construct containing the oleosin and glycinin promoters. A more detailed analysis of the PHB production potential of two of the best performing binary vectors in a Camelina line bred for larger seed size yielded lines containing up to 15% polymer in mature T2 seeds. Transmission electron microscopy showed the presence of distinct granules of PHB in the seeds. PHB production had varying effects on germination, emergence and survival of seedlings. Once true leaves formed, plants grew normally and were able to set seeds. PHB synthesis lowered the total oil but not the protein content of engineered seeds. A change in the oil fatty acid profile was also observed. High molecular weight polymer was produced with weight-averaged molecular weights varying between 600 000 and 1 500 000, depending on the line. Select lines were advanced to later generations yielding a line with 13.7% PHB in T4 seeds. The levels of polymer produced in this study are the highest reported to date in a seed and are an important step forward for commercializing an oilseed-based platform for PHB production.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Wenyu Yang
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | | | | | | | - Mary L Preuss
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, Webster University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | | | | | - Yuanyuan Ji
- Metabolix Oilseeds Inc, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Joseph M Jez
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Department of Biology, Washington University, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | | | - Jan G Jaworski
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
| | - Edgar B Cahoon
- Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, Saint Louis, MO, USA
- Center for Plant Science Innovation and Department of Biochemistry, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Kristi D Snell
- Metabolix Oilseeds Inc, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
- Metabolix Inc, Cambridge, MA, USA
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7
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Meyer K, Stecca KL, Ewell-Hicks K, Allen SM, Everard JD. Oil and protein accumulation in developing seeds is influenced by the expression of a cytosolic pyrophosphatase in Arabidopsis. PLANT PHYSIOLOGY 2012; 159:1221-34. [PMID: 22566496 PMCID: PMC3387706 DOI: 10.1104/pp.112.198309] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/04/2012] [Accepted: 05/04/2012] [Indexed: 05/18/2023]
Abstract
This study describes a dominant low-seed-oil mutant (lo15571) of Arabidopsis (Arabidopsis thaliana) generated by enhancer tagging. Compositional analysis of developing siliques and mature seeds indicated reduced conversion of photoassimilates to oil. Immunoblot analysis revealed increased levels of At1g01050 protein in developing siliques of lo15571. At1g01050 encodes a soluble, cytosolic pyrophosphatase and is one of five closely related genes that share predicted cytosolic localization and at least 70% amino acid sequence identity. Expression of At1g01050 using a seed-preferred promoter recreated most features of the lo15571 seed phenotype, including low seed oil content and increased levels of transient starch and soluble sugars in developing siliques. Seed-preferred RNA interference-mediated silencing of At1g01050 and At3g53620, a second cytosolic pyrophosphatase gene that shows expression during seed filling, led to a heritable oil increase of 1% to 4%, mostly at the expense of seed storage protein. These results are consistent with a scenario in which the rate of mobilization of sucrose, for precursor supply of seed storage lipid biosynthesis by cytosolic glycolysis, is strongly influenced by the expression of endogenous pyrophosphatase enzymes. This emphasizes the central role of pyrophosphate-dependent reactions supporting cytosolic glycolysis during seed maturation when ATP supply is low, presumably due to hypoxic conditions. This route is the major route providing precursors for seed oil biosynthesis. ATP-dependent reactions at the entry point of glycolysis in the cytosol or plastid cannot fully compensate for the loss of oil content observed in transgenic events with increased expression of cytosolic pyrophosphatase enzyme in the cytosol. These findings shed new light on the dynamic properties of cytosolic pyrophosphate pools in developing seed and their influence on carbon partitioning during seed filling. Finally, our work uniquely demonstrates that genes encoding cytosolic pyrophosphatase enzymes provide novel targets to improve seed composition for plant biotechnology applications.
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Affiliation(s)
- Knut Meyer
- A DuPont Company, Agricultural Biotechnology, Wilmington, Delaware 19880, USA.
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8
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Neelakandan AK, Chamala S, Valliyodan B, Nes WD, Nguyen HT. Metabolic engineering of soybean affords improved phytosterol seed traits. PLANT BIOTECHNOLOGY JOURNAL 2012; 10:12-9. [PMID: 21554529 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-7652.2011.00623.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Different combinations of three rate-limiting enzymes in phytosterol biosynthesis, the Arabidopsis thaliana hydroxyl methylglutaryl CoA1 (HMGR1) catalytic subunit linked to either constitutive or seed-specific β-conglycinin promoter, and the Glycine max sterol methyltransferase1 (SMT1) and sterol methyltransferase2-2 (SMT2-2) genes, under the control of seed-specific Glycinin-1 and Beta-phaseolin promoters, respectively, were engineered in soybean plants. Mature seeds of transgenic plants displayed modest increases in total sterol content, which points towards a tight control of phytosterol biosynthesis. However, in contrast to wild-type seeds that accumulated about 35% of the total sterol in the form of intermediates, in the engineered seeds driven by a seed-specific promoter, metabolic flux was directed to Δ(5) -24-alkyl sterol formation (99% of total sterol). The engineered effect of end-product sterol (sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol) over-production in soybean seeds resulted in an approximately 30% increase in overall sitosterol synthesis, a desirable trait for oilseeds and human health. In contradistinction, increased accumulation of cycloartenol and 24(28)-methylencylartanol (55% of the total sterol) was detected in plants harbouring the constitutive t-HMGR1 gene, consistent with the previous studies. Our results support the possibility that metabolic flux of the phytosterol family pathway is differentially regulated in leaves and seeds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anjanasree K Neelakandan
- Division of Plant Sciences and National Center for Soybean Biotechnology, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA
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9
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Affiliation(s)
- J J Finer
- Department of Horticulture and Crop Science, Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, Ohio State University, Wooster 44691, USA
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