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. t omentella, and G. tabacina, collected in Taiwan and the nearby islands . The G. max and G. soja are annual and the others are perennial. We u sed protein gels and Western blot to study their seed proteins-includi ng two major storage proteins, lectin, and several seed maturation pro teins. We performed RFLP analysis using soybean seed maturation protei n cDNA clones as the probes. The data were used to assess the degree o f genetic variability and similarity existing between and within diffe rent species of Glycine collected in Taiwan. The results confirm and e xtend the present model of the taxonomic relationships. Seed maturatio n proteins may serve as a marker that reveals relationships between th e member species of the Glycine taxon.