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Journal of Integrative Agriculture
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Identification and functional characterization of GmMACPF1 as a negative regulator of salt tolerance during germination

Zhiri Xu, Yajun Zhao, Xiaoting Zhang, Jie Huang, Jie Hu, Yuanpeng Liu, Deyue Yu#, Guizhen Kan#

National Key Laboratory of Crop Genetics and Germplasm Enhancement/National Center for Soybean Improvement/Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing 210095, China

 Highlights 

1. Five elite salt-tolerant soybean germplasms were identified from 165 mutant lines, and 60 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and five novel quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with salt tolerance were discovered.

2. Research demonstrated that GmMACPF1 functions as a negative regulator of salt tolerance, where overexpression increased sensitivity while knockout enhanced tolerance in Arabidopsis.

3. During soybean domestication, GmMACPF1 underwent selection, with haplotypes Hap1 and Hap3 contributing to enhanced salt tolerance.

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摘要  

大豆重要的粮油作物,土壤盐渍化是影响大豆生长发育的重要非生物胁迫因素之一。萌发期是大豆发育的关键阶段。本研究对165份大豆突变株系的萌发期耐盐性进行了评价,筛选出5份优异耐盐种质资源。全基因组关联分析(GWAS)鉴定出11个显著关联44个潜在关联SNP位点,发现5个与耐盐性相关的新位点。对候选区域qtl5-1qtl5-2分析,确定Glyma.05G097200Glyma.05G240200(GmMACPF1)为候选基因,两个基因在耐盐和盐敏感基因型间表达模式不同。在拟南芥中过表达GmMACPF1降低耐盐性,而拟南芥macpf1突变体的耐盐性提高GmMACPF1在大豆驯化过程中受到了选择,单倍型Hap1Hap3的大豆具有更的耐盐性以上结果表明GmMACPF1在萌发期负调控耐盐性,为解析大豆萌发期响应盐胁迫的分子机制提供了理论依据。



Abstract  

Soybeans, a crucial grain and oil crop, are valued for their high protein and oil content.  Soil salinization presents a significant abiotic stress that negatively impacts soybean growth and development, leading to reduced yield and quality.  The germination period represents a critical phase in soybean development.  This study evaluated salt tolerance in 165 soybean mutant lines during germination, resulting in the identification of five elite salt-tolerant germplasm resources.  Multi-environment Genome-wide association studies (GWASs) identified 11 significantly associated and 44 suggestive SNPs, alongside five novel QTLs linked to salt tolerance.  Analysis of candidate regions qtl5-1 and qtl5-2 identified Glyma.05G097200 and Glyma.05G240200 as promising candidate genes, exhibiting distinct expression patterns between salt-tolerant and salt-sensitive genotypes. Functional characterization in Arabidopsis demonstrated that overexpression of the soybean gene GmMACPF1 induced salt sensitivity, while the macpf1 mutant of Arabidopsis displayed enhanced salt tolerance.  Additionally, GmMACPF1 underwent selection during soybean domestication, with haplotypes Hap1 and Hap3 conferring improved salt tolerance.  These results indicate that GmMACPF1 functions as a negative regulator of salt tolerance during germination, offering novel insights into the molecular mechanisms governing soybean response to salt stress during this crucial developmental stage.

Keywords:  soybean       salt stress             GWAS       GmMACPF1       haplotype analysis  
Online: 01 October 2025  
Fund: This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (32372169).
About author:  Zhiri Xu, E-mail: 2022201081@stu.njau.edu.cn; #Correspondence Deyue Yu, Tel: 25-84396410, E-mail: dyyu@njau.edu.cn; Guizhen Kan, Tel: 25-84396410, E-mail: kanguizhen@njau.edu.cn

Cite this article: 

Zhiri Xu, Yajun Zhao, Xiaoting Zhang, Jie Huang, Jie Hu, Yuanpeng Liu, Deyue Yu, Guizhen Kan. 2025. Identification and functional characterization of GmMACPF1 as a negative regulator of salt tolerance during germination. Journal of Integrative Agriculture, Doi:10.1016/j.jia.2025.10.002

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