2007 Annual Report 1a.Objectives (from AD-416) Salmon and trout exhibit food intolerance to soybean inclusion feed. Key indicator genes in fish will be identified that respond to soybean inclusion feed compared to controls to yield a bioassay for the effects of soybean. Soy proteins that induce immunoreactive response in fish will be identified and soybean lines lacking these proteins will be developed. The goal of this project is to identify the causes of soybean feed intolerance and to develop fish-optimized soybeans that mitigate the feed intolerance. 1b.Approach (from AD-416) Samples of fish intestine and blood from control and soybean meal fed fish will be assayed by proteomics and immunoassay to characterize changes that occur and to characterize the soy proteins that induce feed intolerance. Once target soy proteins are identified, gene suppression and/or selection from the national soy collection will be used to produce null traits to mitigate the soy feed intolerance. 3.Progress Report This report serves to document research conducted under a reimbursable agreement between ARS and the National Center for Soybean Biotechnology at the University of Missouri that includes a subaward to the University of Georgia. Additional details of this research can be found in the report for the parent project 3622-21000-028-00D, "Genetic Enhancement of Soybean Seed Value by Biotechnology." This project is directed at producing modified soybeans optimized to use in salmon feed. The ARS and University of Georgia partners work together to produce synthetic gene constructs to induce the modified soybean traits. At the end of year one of the two year project several different genes have been transferred to soybean and the resulting transgenic soybeans are in the process of being regenerated into plants to evaluate whether the transgenics have been successful. The potential impact of this project is to develop soybeans optimized to use as a salmon aquaculture feed component providing new large scale uses for value-added soybeans. The use of soybeans substituting for fishmeal has large environmental benefits for the world’s oceans. The ADODR has maintained contact with the University of Georgia partner by frequent email and telephone conversations. In addition the University of Georgia partner attended two conferences where the ADODR also attended (Biennial Soybean meeting in Nebraska August 2006 and USB Soybean Workshop 2006) and discussion time was built in to the joint attendance at these meetings.