THE RELATIONSHIPS OF CULTIVATED SOYBEANS AND THEIR WILD RELATIVES COLLECTED FROM TAIWAN - REVEALED BY SEED PROTEINS

We conducted molecular studies of the taxonomic relationships between cultivated soybean, Glycine max, and its wild relatives, G. soja, G. tomentella, and G. tabacina, collected in Taiwan and the nearby islands. The G. max and G. soja are annual and the others are perennial. We used protein gels and Western blot to study their seed proteins-including two major storage proteins, lectin, and several seed maturation proteins. We performed RFLP analysis using soybean seed maturation protein cDNA clones as the probes. The data were used to assess the degree of genetic variability and similarity existing between and within different species of Glycine collected in Taiwan. The results confirm and extend the present model of the taxonomic relationships. Seed maturation proteins may serve as a marker that reveals relationships between the member species of the Glycine taxon.