Use of allele-specific molecular markers for screening the allele status of photoperiodic response genes in soybean varieties

The expansion of soybean (Glycine max L.) cultivation into the northern regions of Russia is limited by its high sensitivity to photoperiod. Developing adapted earlymaturing varieties requires the use of modern molecular methods to identify the alleles of genes that control this trait. The aim of this study was to identify the allele status of the main genes of photoperiod sensitivity (E1–E4, E9, GmFT5a) in a collection of Russian soybean varieties using a panel of allelespecific DNA markers. The study was conducted on 40 soybean varieties belonging to different maturity groups. DNA was extracted from seed embryos. Genotyping was performed using nine PCR markers (CAPS, INDEL, SNP) specific to the target genes. A wide allelic diversity was found for the E1–E4 genes. The following recessive alleles contributing to early soybean maturation were identified: e1as (present in most samples), e1nl (Puma, Belor, Altom), e2ns (80% of varieties), e3tr (35% of varieties), e3fs (Sibiriada), and e4SORE1 (40% of varieties). Only dominant alleles were found for the E9 and GmFT5a genes in the entire sample.