Mizzou Study Offers Hope for Better Soybean Protection

By Blake Jackson

Researchers at the University of Missouri are gaining new insights into how a naturally occurring soybean mutation could help protect crops from the soybean cyst nematode, one of the most destructive pests affecting soybean production worldwide.

The soybean cyst nematode is a microscopic parasite that attacks plant roots, feeding on nutrients and reducing crop growth and productivity. Infestations often leave soybean plants stunted, yellowed, and less productive, causing significant economic losses for growers.

A study by Mizzou scientists examined a mutation in a soybean enzyme known as SHMT8, which was first identified more than 10 years ago.

Using the university’s advanced electron microscopy technology, researchers were able to analyze the enzyme’s structure in remarkable detail.

The research team, led by Lesa Beamer, professor of biochemistry, and doctoral student Vindya Samarakoon, discovered that the mutated SHMT8 enzyme consists of only two protein components instead of the normal four.

This structural change affects the enzyme’s role in folate metabolism, an essential process that supports plant growth.

Researchers believe the mutation may also make soybean roots less favorable for soybean cyst nematodes.

“Perhaps if the plant is only producing less folate in the roots due to this mutation, the nematode can’t get enough nutrients to grow and reproduce,” Beamer said.

The study focused specifically on SHMT enzymes found in soybean roots, where the nematodes feed. Scientists noted that other versions of the enzyme located elsewhere in the plant likely continue producing enough folate to maintain healthy growth.

“Since plants need folate to grow, our challenge is to perhaps figure out a way to reduce folate metabolism enough to hurt the nematode but not so much that the soybean itself suffers or decreases in yield,” Beamer said.

“While the research in its early stages, if our efforts were to one day lead to breeding new mutant plants that ultimately help soybean farmers out in the field, that would be a dream come true.”

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