Characterization of soybean genome based on synteny analysis with Lotus japonicus

To apply genomic information of the model legume Lotus japonicus to soybean, the characteristics of the soybean genome in reference to the genome of L. japonicus were investigated. Macrosynteny between soybean and L. japonicus was analyzed by mapping the same cDNA clones on the maps of both species by the RFLP method, and by identifying the positions of orthologs on the L. japonicus map for cDNA markers located on the soybean map. Relatively large synteny blocks were observed between a few linkage groups of L. japonicus and soybean. The major parts of the soybean linkage groups consisted of mosaics of smaller segments syntenic with the L. japonicus genome. The presence of many homoeologous regions on different soybean linkage groups was suggested from the distribution of paralogs and orthologs. To investigate the microsynteny between soybean and L. japonicus, three soybean BAC clones were selected for the GmNFR1a, GmNFR1b and Nts1 genes mapped on the macrosyntenic regions of the linkage groups D1b, B2 and H, respectively. We revealed a significantly high level of collinearity between these BAC clones and corresponding homologous genomic regions of L. japonicus. The information of L. japonicus could be used for the development of DNA markers, map-based cloning and assembling process of genome sequencing in soybean.