Genome-wide identification and analysis of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase family reveals the role of GmGAPDH14 to improve salt tolerance in soybean (Glycine max L.)

Xunchao Zhao; Jie Wang; Ning Xia; Yuewen Qu; Yuhang Zhan; Weili Teng; Haiyan Li; Wenbin Li; Yongguang Li; Xue Zhao; Yingpeng Han

doi:10.3389/fpls.2023.1193044

Genome-wide identification and analysis of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase family reveals the role of GmGAPDH14 to improve salt tolerance in soybean (Glycine max L.)

Front Plant Sci. 2023 Jun 6:14:1193044. doi: 10.3389/fpls.2023.1193044. eCollection 2023.

Authors

Xunchao Zhao¹, Jie Wang¹, Ning Xia¹, Yuewen Qu¹, Yuhang Zhan¹, Weili Teng¹, Haiyan Li¹, Wenbin Li¹, Yongguang Li¹, Xue Zhao¹, Yingpeng Han¹

Affiliation

¹ Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology in Chinese Ministry of Education (Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology and Breeding/Genetics of Chinese Agriculture Ministry), Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, China.

Abstract

Introduction: Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is an essential key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway and plays an important role in stress responses. Although GAPDH family genes have been found in different plant species, the determination of their gene family analysis and their functional roles in soybean are still unknown.

Methods: In this study, gene sequence and expression data were obtained using online tools, and systematic evolution, expression profile analysis, and qRT-PCR analysis were conducted.

Results and discussion: Here a total of 16 GmGAPDH genes were identified on nine chromosomes, which were classified into three clusters. Additionally, all GmGAPDH genes harbor two highly conserved domains, including Gp_dh_N (PF00044) and Gp_dh_C (PF02800). The qRTPCR analysis also showed that most GmGAPDH genes significantly responded to multiple abiotic stresses, including NaHCO3, polyethylene glycol, cold, and salt. Among them, GmGAPDH14 was extraordinarily induced by salt stress. The GmGAPDH14 gene was cloned and overexpressed through soybean hair roots. The overexpressed transgenic soybean plants of the GmGAPDH14 gene have also shown better growth than that of control plants. Moreover, the overexpressed transgenic plants of GmGAPDH14 gene had higher activities of superoxide dismutase but lower malonaldehyde (MDA) content than those of control plants under salt stress. Meanwhile, a total of four haplotypes were found for the GmGAPDH14 gene, and haplotypes 2, 3, and 4 were beneficial for the tolerance of soybean to salt stress. These results suggest that the GmGAPDH14 gene might be involved in the process of soybean tolerance to salt stress. The results of this study will be valuable in understanding the role of GAPDH genes in the abiotic stress response of soybean.

Keywords: GAPDH protein; gene family; hairy roots; salt tolerance; soybean.

Grants and funding

This study was conducted in the Key Laboratory of Soybean Biology of the Chinese Education Ministry, Soybean Research and Development Center, and the Key Laboratory of Northeastern Soybean Biology and Breeding/Genetics of the Chinese Agriculture Ministry and was financially supported by the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (32001570), the Chinese National Natural Science Foundation (U22A20473, 31971967), the Key Fund of Heilongjiang Province (ZD2022C002), the National Project (2014BAD22B01 and 2016ZX08004001-007), the Youth Leading Talent Project of the Ministry of Science and Technology in China (2015RA228), the National Ten-Thousand Talents Program, Postdoctoral Fund in Heilongjiang Province (LBH-Q20004), and the National Project (CARS-04-PS04).