Soybean Seed Development: Fatty Acid and Phytohormone Metabolism and Their Interactions

• Published in: Current genomics Vol. 17; no. 3; pp. 241 - 260
• Main Authors: Nguyen, Quoc Thien, Kisiala, Anna, Andreas, Peter, Neil Emery, R J, Narine, Suresh
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United Arab Emirates Bentham Science Publishers Ltd 01-06-2016; Bentham Science Publishers
• Subjects: Abscisic acid; Soybean; Seed development; Cytokinin; Fatty acid
• ISSN: 1389-2029; 1875-5488
• DOI: 10.2174/1389202917666160202220238

Vegetable oil utilization is determined by its fatty acid composition. In soybean and other
grain crops, during the seed development oil accumulation is important trait for value in food or industrial
applications. Seed development is relatively short and sensitive to unfavorable abiotic conditions.
These stresses can lead to a numerous undesirable qualitative as well as quantitative changes in fatty
acid production. Fatty acid manipulation which targets a higher content of a specific single fatty acid
for food or industrial application has gained more attention. Despite several successes in modifying the ratio of endogenous
fatty acids in most domesticated oilseed crops, numerous obstacles in FA manipulation of seed maturation are yet to
be overcome. Remarkably, connections with plant hormones have not been well studied despite their critical roles in the
regulation and promotion of a plethora of processes in plant growth and development. While activities of phytohormones
during the reproductive phase have been partially clarified in seed physiology, the biological role of plant hormones in oil accumulation
during seed development has not been investigated. In this review seed development and numerous effects of
abiotic stresses are discussed. After describing fatty acid and phytohormone metabolism and their interactions, we postulate
that the endogenous plant hormones play important roles in fatty acid production in soybean seeds.