LegumeIP V3: from models to crops—an integrative gene discovery platform for translational genomics in legumes

Legumes have contributed to human health, sustainable food and feed production worldwide for centuries. The study of model legumes has played vital roles in deciphering key genes, pathways, and networks regulating biological mechanisms and agronomic traits. Along with emerging breeding technology such as genome editing, translation of the knowledge gained from model plants to crops is in high demand. The updated database (V3) was redesigned for translational genomics targeting the discovery of novel key genes in less-studied non-model legume crops by referring to the knowledge gained in model legumes. The database contains genomic data for all 22 included species, and transcriptomic data covering thousands of RNA-seq samples mostly from model species. The rich biological data and analytic tools for gene expression and pathway analyses can be used to decipher critical genes, pathways, and networks in model legumes. The integrated comparative genomic functions further facilitate the translation of this knowledge to legume crops. Therefore, the database will be a valuable resource to identify important genes regulating specific biological mechanisms or agronomic traits in the non-model yet economically significant legume crops. LegumeIP V3 is available free to the public at https://plantgrn.noble.org/LegumeIP. Access to the database does not require login, registration, or password.