biostudies-literatureLin JNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of CanadaChina Scholarship CouncilNatural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)York University’s Dean’s Undergraduate Research AwardUSDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture545https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC9921300biostudies-literatureUnknown12(3)Glyceollins, isoflavonoid-derived antimicrobial metabolites, are the major phytoalexins in soybean (<i>Glycine max</i>). They play essential roles in providing resistance to the soil-borne pathogen <i>Phytophthora sojae</i> and have unconventional anticancer and neuroprotective activities that render them desirable for pharmaceutical development. Our previous studies revealed that the transcription factors GmMYB29A2 and GmNAC42-1 have essential roles in activating glyceollin biosynthesis, yet each cannot activate the transcription of all biosynthesis genes in the absence of a pathogen elicitor treatment. Here, we report that co-overexpressing both transcription factors is also insufficient to activate glyceollin biosynthesis. To understand this insufficiency, we compared the transcriptome Plants (Basel, Switzerland)RNA-Seq Dissects Incomplete Activation of Phytoalexin Biosynthesis by the Soybean Transcription Factors GmMYB29A2 and GmNAC42-1.PMC99213002021079800031010200RGPIN-2020-06111Kovinich NJahan MAMonsalvo IMartirosyan ILin JLy MWi DfalseRNA-Seq Dissects Incomplete Activation of Phytoalexin Biosynthesis by the Soybean Transcription Factors GmMYB29A2 and GmNAC42-1.Glyceollins, isoflavonoid-derived antimicrobial metabolites, are the major phytoalexins in soybean (<i>Glycine max</i>). They play essential roles in providing resistance to the soil-borne pathogen <i>Phytophthora sojae</i> and have unconventional anticancer and neuroprotective activities that render them desirable for pharmaceutical development. Our previous studies revealed that the transcription factors GmMYB29A2 and GmNAC42-1 have essential roles in activating glyceollin biosynthesis, yet each cannot activate the transcription of all biosynthesis genes in the absence of a pathogen elicitor treatment. Here, we report that co-overexpressing both transcription factors is also insufficient to activate glyceollin biosynthesis. To understand this insufficiency, we compared the transcriptome 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Jan2026-05-13T14:33:25.784Z2024-11-09T20:45:36.008ZS-EPMC99213003677162910.3390/plants12030545