NMR fingerprinting of conventional and genetically modified soybean plants with AtAREB transcription factors

Abstract

Abstract Drought stress impacts soybean yield and physiological processes. However, the insertion of the activated form of the AtAREB1 gene in the soybean cultivar BR16, which is sensitive to water deficit improved the drought response of the genetically-modified plants under glasshouse conditions. Thus, in this study used 1H NMR in solution and solid-state NMR to investigate the response of genetically modified soybean overexpressing AREB under water deficiency conditions. We achieved that drought-tolerant soybean yields high content of amino acids isoleucine, leucine, threonine, valine, proline, glutamate, aspartate, asparagine, tyrosine and phenylalanine after twelve days of drought stress conditions, as compared to drought-sensitive soybeans under same conditions. Specific target compounds, including sugars, organic acids and phenolic compounds, were identified as involved in controlling sensitive soybean during the vegetative stage. Solid-state NMR was used to study the impact of drought stress on starch and cellulose content in different soybean genotypes. The findings provide insights into the metabolic adjustments of soybean overexpressing AREB transcription factors in adapting to dry climates. This study presents novel NMR techniques for investigating the metabolome of transgenic soybean plants in response to water deficit. The approach allowed for identification of physiological and morphological changes in drought-resistant and drought-tolerant soybean tissues. The findings indicate that drought stress significantly alters micro and macromolecular metabolism in soybean plants. Differential responses were observed among roots and leaves, as well as drought-tolerant and drought-sensitive cultivars, highlighting the complex interplay between overexpressed transcription factors and drought stress in soybean plants.