Abstract
Lectin receptor-like kinases (LecRLKs) play important roles in plant development and stress responses. Although genome-wide studies of LecRLKs have been performed in several species, a comprehensive analysis including evolutionary, structural and functional analysis has not been carried out in soybean (Glycine max). In this study, we identified 185 putative LecRLK genes in the soybean genome, including 123 G-type, 60 L-type and 2 C-type LecRLK genes. Tandem duplication and segmental duplication appear to be the main mechanisms of gene expansion in the soybean LecRLK (GmLecRLK) gene family. According to our phylogenetic analysis, G-type and L-type GmLecRLK genes can be organized into fourteen and eight subfamilies, respectively. The subfamilies within the G-type GmLecRLKs differ from each other in gene structure and/or protein domains and motifs, which indicates that the subfamilies have diverged. The evolution of L-type GmLecRLKs has been more conservative: most genes retain the same gene structures and nearly the same protein domain and motif architectures. Furthermore, the expression profiles of G-type and L-type GmLecRLK genes show evidence of functional redundancy and divergence within each group. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the evolution and function of soybean LecRLKs and provide a framework for further functional investigation of them.
Highlights
Cell surface receptors play important roles in perceiving and processing signals that arrive at the cell
Lectin receptor-like kinases (LecRLKs) account for 0.33% of all genes in soybean, while they account for 0.27% and 0.26% in A. thaliana and T. aestivum and 0.56% and 0.78%. in P. trichocarpa and O. sativa, respectively
Our phylogenetic analysis based on the kinase domain sequences of all GmLecRLK genes showed that the three types of GmLecRLK genes were clearly separated into three different clades (Fig. 2), which further supports the classification of GmLecRLKs into three types
Summary
Cell surface receptors play important roles in perceiving and processing signals that arrive at the cell. Based on the structure of the extracellular domains and on a phylogenetic analysis of the kinase domains, RLK proteins of Arabidopsis thaliana were classified into more than 15 families[2]. The C-type LecRLKs contain a calcium-dependent carbohydrate-binding lectin domain in the N-terminal extracellar domain This domain is commonly found in a large number of mammalian proteins that mediate innate immune responses[16]. We and several research teams have investigated the membership and evolution of the leucine-rich repeat receptor-like protein kinase (LRR-RLK) gene family in plant species for which a complete genome sequence is available, including a moss and a lycophyte[33], the basal angiosperm Amborella trichopoda[34] and other angiosperm species[35,36,37,38,39,40,41]. Our results contribute to a better understanding of the evolution and function of soybean LecRLK genes and provide a framework for further investigations into the functions of them
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
