A Highly Conserved SNARE ‐Associated Protein Enhances Plant Immunity by Regulating Vesicle Trafficking

The plant endomembrane system and vesicle trafficking are central to plant immunity, mediating the targeted delivery and recycling of defence molecules during pathogen attack. Here, we investigated the functional role of soybean Vacuole Membrane Protein 1 (GmVMP1) in mediating resistance against soybean cyst nematode (SCN, Heterodera glycines). GmVMP1 is a SNARE-associated protein whose expression was specifically and transiently upregulated in SCN-resistant soybean roots. Overexpression of GmVMP1 conferred near-complete resistance to SCN. Field-grown transgenic lines showed no developmental penalties and displayed modest gains in seed weight and protein content. GmVMP1 interacted with four key vesicle trafficking proteins, and silencing these interactors compromised GmVMP1-mediated resistance. Live-cell imaging revealed that GmVMP1 enhances endocytic vesicle formation and accelerates internalisation dynamics, pointing to a role in membrane trafficking during defence activation. Together, these results establish GmVMP1 as a novel SCN resistance gene that modulates vesicle trafficking to support early defence, with promising agronomic traits for soybean improvement.