Unraveling molecular basis of phytochemical accumulation toward improved human health

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
The overarching goal of this AREA project is to uncover the genetic basis regulating soyasaponin accumulation
for the development of value-increased crops to boost the human immune system and for alternative medicine.
This project is urgent and significant to meet current and future unpredicted pandemics.
Soyasaponins are a group of naturally occurring phytochemicals in legume species and has been
reported to boost the human immune system. They also exhibit anti-viral, anti-cancer, and anti-diabetic activities.
Previous research has been predominantly limited to examinations of soyasaponin's medicinal properties, but
its biosynthetic pathway is not complete and little is known about its molecular determination in regulating
soyasaponin accumulation. The lack of fundamental knowledge about these important bioactive compounds
limits the success of plant metabolic engineering to develop soyasaponin-rich crops. The value-improved staple
crops, such as soybean, can be consumed via a daily diet to boost immunity and can be made globally accessible
to economically disadvantaged populations. This project is the first to bridge this critical gap and examine the
molecular mechanisms regulating soyasaponin variation in natural plants applying interdisciplinary approaches,
such as genomics, biochemistry, and CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing.
The research goal will be accomplished by completion of the following two specific aims: 1) to identify
candidate genes regulating soyasaponin production in wild soybeans, the wild progenitor of cultivated soybean
with a large gene pool; and 2) to validate gene function of identified candidate genes in contributing to
soyasaponin production using state-of-the-art CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing system.
Our scientific contribution here is significant as it will address a crucial fundamental question of molecular
basis regulating vital phytochemical production in natural plants. Specifically, our study will improve
understanding of the molecular components and their functional relationships in soyasaponin production. Project
results are expected to provide a significant step toward efficient plant metabolic engineering and/or molecular
breeding to develop value-increased soybean cultivars to boost the human immune system through diet and
ultimately lead to alternative strategies for the prevention and treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases.
The mapping population and large genomic data will provide the plant community resource for deploying similar
strategies to the study of other human health-related traits. This comprehensive research project will engage
undergraduate and graduate students in a comprehensive interdisciplinary research environment. This AREA
award will enhance the research environment at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a rapidly growing
urban university with a large number of first-generation and low-income students. The PI has a strong track
record of involving under-represented minorities and women in her research program. The final outcome of
this interdisciplinary research project will create a broader impact on the improvement of public health, both
locally and globally.