The Gma-miR394a/GmFBX176 module is involved in regulating the soybean (Glycine max L.) response to drought stress

• DOI: 10.1016/j.plantsci.2023.111879
• Publication Date: 2023-09-29T06:06:09Z
• Authors: Yuehua Yu; Ping Wang; Huina Wan; Yi Wang; Hao Hu; Zhiyong Ni
• Keywords: Drought stress

Drought seriously affects the yield and quality of soybean. Previous studies have shown that the gma-miR394a/GmFBX176 module regulates the response of Arabidopsis to drought stress. However, whether the gma-miR394a/GmFBX176 module is involved in the regulation of the soybean drought stress response remains unclear. Here, the function of the gma-miR394a/GmFBX176 module in the soybean drought stress response was evaluated. In soybean hairy roots, drought stress induced the transcription of gma-miR394a and inhibited the transcription of GmFBX176. GUS histochemical staining showed that transgenic GmFBX176p:GUS soybean hairy root staining was weak and that GUS transcript levels decreased under drought stress. A transient expression experiment in tobacco showed that gma-miR394a inhibited GmFBX176 transcription. Under drought stress, composite soybean plants overexpressing gma-miR394a showed increased drought resistance compared with control K599 composite soybean plants (K599); their survival rate and peroxidase activity were higher than those of K599, and their malondialdehyde content was lower. In contrast, composite soybean plants overexpressing GmFBX176m3 (gma-miR394a complement site mutation) presented lower drought resistance than K599 plants. Transcriptomic sequencing showed that the gma-miR394a/GmFBX176 module affected the transcript levels of stress response genes and transcription factors. These results indicate that the gma-miR394a/GmFBX176 module can be used to improve the drought resistance of soybean.