Comprehensive Genomic Survey, Evolution, and Expression Analysis of GIF Gene Family during the Development and Metal Ion Stress Responses in Soybean.

Intikhab Alam,Liangfa Ge,Xueting Wu

doi:10.3390/plants11040570

Intikhab Alam, Liangfa Ge + Show 1 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/plants11040570

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Abstract

The GIF gene family is one of the plant transcription factors specific to seed plants. The family members are expressed in all lateral organs produced by apical and floral meristems and contribute to the development of leaves, shoots, flowers, and seeds. This study identified eight GIF genes in the soybean genome and clustered them into three groups. Analyses of Ka/Ks ratios and divergence times indicated that they had undergone purifying selection during species evolution. RNA-sequence and relative expression patterns of these GmGIF genes tended to be conserved, while different expression patterns were also observed between the duplicated GIF members in soybean. Numerous cis-regulatory elements related to plant hormones, light, and stresses were found in the promoter regions of these GmGIF genes. Moreover, the expression patterns of GmGIF members were confirmed in soybean roots under cadmium (Cd) and copper (Cu) stress, indicating their potential functions in the heavy metal response in soybean. Our research provides valuable information for the functional characterization of each GmGIF gene in different legumes in the future.

Highlights

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) is one of the world’s most important crops, contributing to over 70% of the protein diet and 28% of vegetable oil consumption
In order to determine the structural variation of the members of the soybean GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR (GIF) gene family, we examined the exon–intron structure of each soybean and Arabidopsis GIF gene according to the phylogenetic classification (Figure 2)
Eight GIF genes were respectively identified in soybean genomes

Summary

Introduction

Soybean (Glycine max (L.) Merr) is one of the world’s most important crops, contributing to over 70% of the protein diet and 28% of vegetable oil consumption (http: //soystats.com accessed on 25 December 2022). The economic value of soybean, as with other staple crop plants, is determined by the quantity (yield) and quality of seeds produced. Both are affected by various factors, including plant height, internode formation, number of branches, pods per plant, seeds per pod, and seed size [1,2]. Several important genes, including the GROWTH-REGULATING FACTOR (GRF) genes, encode transcription factors that interact with the GRF-INTERACTING FACTOR (GIF) transcription cofactor to form a functional transcriptional complex [6,7] In this unit, GIF operates to recruit

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