Bioscience Evidence 2025, Vol.15, No.5, 237-248 http://bioscipublisher.com/index.php/be 244 8.3 Consumer-driven traits: high-protein varieties, healthy oil profiles With people paying more attention to health and nutrition, the market demand for healthy soybean varieties such as high protein, high oleic acid, and low linolenic acid is constantly increasing (Song et al., 2023). High-protein varieties can not only meet the needs of the food and feed industries, but also increase the added value of soybeans (Guo et al., 2022). The improvement of lipid quality (such as increasing oleic acid and reducing saturated fatty acids) has become the focus of molecular breeding and gene editing (Song et al., 2023). In the future, by integrating molecular markers, gene editing and precise phenotypic screening, it is expected to achieve multi-objective synergistic improvement of protein, oil content and quality (Kumar et al., 2021). 9 Concluding Remarks The protein and oil content of soybeans are very complex quantitative traits, controlled by many genes and QTLS together. Research has found that some major QTLS and candidate genes on chromosomes 15 and 20 (such as FAD2-1 and Glyma.20G085100) have been verified multiple times. They have significant effects on proteins and oils, and often in opposite directions. Multi-omics and proteomics studies also indicate that core metabolic pathways such as carbon metabolism, glycolysis, and the TCA cycle are of great significance, and related genes (such as sugar transporters, fatty acid synthases, signal transduction proteins, etc.) all play key roles in protein and oil accumulation. In addition, some genes also have pleiotropy, not only influencing seed components but also being related to stress response and adaptability. A deep understanding of these genetic bases provides a foundation for modern breeding such as molecular marker-assisted selection, genomic selection and gene editing. The newly discovered QTL and functional genes provide molecular targets for cultivating soybeans with high protein, high oil content and high-quality fatty acid composition, which helps to meet the diverse needs of food, feed and industry. Meanwhile, some regulatory genes are related to stress tolerance, which provides new ideas for maintaining stable and sustainable soybean production under climate change. However, the balance between protein and oil, environmental adaptability, and multi-objective collaborative improvement remain challenges in future research and breeding. In the future, it is necessary to integrate basic research achievements with new technologies such as molecular breeding and synthetic biology to accelerate the cultivation of high-quality, high-yield and sustainable new soybean varieties, and promote the global protein and oil industry towards green development. Acknowledgments The author appreciates the modification suggestions from Professors Rudi Mai and Qixue Liang on the manuscript of this study. Conflict of Interest Disclosure The authors affirm that this research was conducted without any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest. References Anderson E., Ali L., Beavis W., Chen P., Clemente T., Diers B., Graef G., Grassini P., Hyten D., McHale L., Nelson R., Parrott W., Patil G., Stupar R., and Tilmon K., 2019, Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] breeding: history, improvement, production and future opportunities, Advances in Plant Breeding Strategies: Legumes, 431-516. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-23400-3_12 Araji H., Wayayok A., Daneshian J., Mirzaei M., Bavani A., Teh C., Abdullah A., and Ahmadi P., 2020, Effects of projected climate change on quantity and quality of soybean yield under different emission scenarios, Current Science, 118(1): 103-107. https://doi.org/10.18520/CS/V118/I1/103-107 Assefa Y., Bajjalieh N., Archontoulis S., Casteel S., Davidson D., Kovács P., Naeve S., and Ciampitti I., 2018, Spatial characterization of soybean yield and quality (amino acids, oil, and protein) for United States, Scientific Reports, 8: 14653. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32895-0 Assefa Y., Purcell L., Salmerón M., Naeve S., Casteel S., Kovács P., Archontoulis S., Licht M., Below F., Kandel H., Lindsey L., Gaska J., Conley S., Shapiro C., Orlowski J., Golden B., Kaur G., Singh M., Thelen K., Laurenz R., Davidson D., and Ciampitti I., 2019, Assessing variation in US soybean seed composition (protein and oil), Frontiers in Plant Science, 10: 298. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2019.00298
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