Knocking out the soybean phosphatase gene GmLOPP confers enhanced resistance against bacterial diseases while preserving rhizobial symbiosis, according to research published in BMC Plant Biology. Disruption of this type 2 C protein phosphatase gene in soybean plants improved immune defense without creating detectable trade-offs in nodulation or overall plant growth.
While enhancing plant immunity often strengthens protection against pathogens, the consequences of heightened immune activation for beneficial symbiotic organisms have remained underexplored. In this investigation, researchers evaluated how disrupting GmLOPP, a type 2 C protein phosphatase also known as a LORE-associated phosphatase, affects immune activation alongside rhizobial interactions.
Loss-of-function Gmlopp mutant plants displayed enhanced resistance against both bacterial blight and pustule disease. Following treatment with lipopolysaccharides, which serve as major components of bacterial outer membranes, the mutants exhibited elevated reactive oxygen species production together with upregulated expression of the genes GmOXI1 and GmWRKY33.
Crucially, Gmlopp plants showed no detectable trade-offs in growth or nodulation compared with wild-type plants. The researchers concluded that GmLOPP knockout delivers disease resistance without compromising rhizobial symbiosis, highlighting the phosphatase gene as a viable target for gene editing in soybean breeding.
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