Affiliation:
1. College of Agronomy Shandong Agricultural University Tai'an Shandong 271018 China
2. Crop Research Institute Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences Ji'nan Shandong 250131 China
3. Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Adaptation and Molecular Design, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences Guangzhou University Guangzhou 510006 China
Abstract
Summary
Salt stress is a major challenge that has a negative impact on soybean growth and productivity. Therefore, it is important to understand the regulatory mechanism of salt response to ensure soybean yield under such conditions.
In this study, we identified and characterized a miR160a–GmARF16–GmMYC2 module and its regulation during the salt–stress response in soybean.
miR160a promotes salt tolerance by cleaving GmARF16 transcripts, members of the Auxin Response Factor (ARF) family, which negatively regulates salt tolerance. In turn, GmARF16 activates GmMYC2, encoding a bHLH transcription factor that reduces salinity tolerance by down‐regulating proline biosynthesis. Genomic analysis among wild and cultivated soybean accessions identified four distinct GmARF16 haplotypes. Among them, the GmARF16H3 haplotype is preferentially enriched in localities with relatively saline soils, suggesting GmARF16H3 was artificially selected to improve salt tolerance.
Our findings therefore provide insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying salt response in soybean and provide valuable genetic targets for the molecular breeding of salt tolerance.
Funder
National Key Research and Development Program of China
National Natural Science Foundation of China
Agricultural Variety Improvement Project of Shandong Province