Transcriptome analysis and functional identification of GmMYB46 in soybean seedlings under salt stress

Abstract

Salinity is one of the major abiotic stress that limits crop growth and productivity. We investigated the transcriptomes of salt-treated soybean seedlings versus a control using RNA-seq to better understand the molecular mechanisms of the soybean (Glycine max L.) response to salt stress. Transcriptome analysis revealed 1,235 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) under salt stress. Several important pathways and key candidate genes were identified by KEGG enrichment. A total of 116 differentially expressed transcription factors (TFs) were identified, and 17 TFs were found to belong to MYB families. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these TFs may be involved in salt stress adaptation. Further analysis revealed that GmMYB46 was up-regulated by salt and mannitol and was localized in the nucleus. The salt tolerance of transgenic Arabidopsis overexpressing GmMYB46 was significantly enhanced compared to wild-type (WT). GmMYB46 activates the expression of salt stress response genes (P5CS1, SOD, POD, NCED3) in Arabidopsis under salt stress, indicating that the GmMYB46 protein mediates the salt stress response through complex regulatory mechanisms. This study provides information with which to better understand the molecular mechanism of salt tolerance in soybeans and to genetically improve the crop.

ERF subfamily transcription factors and their function in plant responses to abiotic stresses

“…We collected the transcriptomic data in six plant species to verify our hypothesis on the relevance that ERF members of specific subgroup involved in particular abiotic stresses, such as salinity, cold and drought ( Figure 4 ). The heatmap was generated by the software TBtools ( Chen C. J. et al., 2020 ) with the 113 ERF genes transcriptome values of log2FoldChange (Log2FC) in six species under drought, cold, and salinity stress, respectively ( Shankar et al., 2016 ; Jin et al., 2017 ; Li et al., 2017 ; Sharma et al., 2018 ; Guan et al., 2019 ; Sharmin et al., 2020 ; Liu X. et al., 2021 ; Yu et al., 2022 ) ( Supplemental Table S5 ). Expression profiles of expressed genes are presented with gradient blue and red boxes, blue represents low expression and red represents high expression.…”

“… Heatmap of differentially expressed ERF genes in response to abiotic stresses. The heatmap was constructed by TBtools ( Chen C. J. et al., 2020 ) with the 113 ERF genes transcriptome values of log2FoldChange (Log2FC) in six species ( Arabidopsis thaliana L., Glycine max L., Nicotiana tabacum L., Oryza sativa L., Triticum aestivum L., and Zea mays L.) under drought, cold, and salinity stress, respectively ( Shankar et al., 2016 ; Jin et al., 2017 ; Li et al., 2017 ; Sharma et al., 2018 ; Guan et al., 2019 ; Sharmin et al., 2020 ; Liu X. et al., 2021 ; Yu et al., 2022 ) ( Supplemental Table S5 ). …”

Identification of QTNs, QTN-by-environment interactions, and their candidate genes for salt tolerance related traits in soybean

“…The results showed that the turquoise, magenta, blue, and purple modules were enriched in 24, 3, 2, and 2 KEGG pathways, respectively (corrected P -value < 0.05, Table S8 ). Among these pathways, 1, 2, 0 and 0 pathways were found to be associated with salt tolerance, including ‘plant hormone signaling’, ‘MAPK signaling pathway’, and ‘arginine and proline metabolism’ pathways (Table S8 ), which were reported to play an important role in the process of plant salt stress response in Liu et al [ 65 ]. We analyzed the hub genes of the turquoise and magenta modules.…”

Unfolding molecular switches for salt stress resilience in soybean: recent advances and prospects for salt-tolerant smart plant production

“…Furthermore, proline effects are dependent on concentrations, duration and developmental stage of plants under salt stress conditions ( Mansour and Ali, 2017 ). In soybean, overexpression of GmMYB46 induced the expression of salt stress response genes ( P5CS1 , POD , SOD , and NCED3 ), thus enhancing the proline and antioxidants accumulation for salt stress tolerance ( Liu et al., 2021c ). Sugar transport and distribution improve growth and development and stimulates plant salt stress response.…”

“…Functional analysis revealed that GmMYB46 localized in the nucleus, up-regulated by salt and mannitol, and enhanced the salt tolerance by ectopic-overexpressing of GmMYB46 in Arabidopsis. Although, GmMYB46 upgraded the expression of salt stress response genes ( P5CS1 , SOD , POD , and NCED3 ), but actual mechanism is still vague in soybean and Arabidopsis ( Liu et al., 2021c ). Transcriptomic analysis of the salt-tolerant ‘Qi Huang No.34’ (QH34) and the salt-sensitive cultivar ‘Dong Nong No.50’ (DN50) identified 17,477 genes responsive to salt stress.…”