Sodium toxicity and potassium insufficient are important factors affecting the growth and development of soybean in saline soil. As the capacity of plants to maintain a high cytosolic, K+/Na+ ratio is the key determinant of tolerance under salt stress. The aims of the present study were to identify and analyse expression patterns of the soybean K+ efflux antiporter (KEA) gene and Na+/H+ antiporter (NHX) gene family, and to explore their roles under abiotic stress. As a result, 12 soybean GmKEAs genes and 10 soybean GmNHXs genes were identified and analyzed from soybean genome. Interestingly, the novel soybean KEA gene Glyma16g32821 which encodes 11 transmembrane domains were extremely up-regulated and remained high level until 48 h in root after the excessive potassium treatment and lack of potassium treatment, respectively. The novel soybean NHX gene Glyma09g02130 which encodes 10 transmembrane domains were extremely up-regulated and remained high level until 48 h in root with NaCl stress. Imaging of subcellular locations of the two new Glyma16g32821-GFP and Glyma09g02130-GFP fusion proteins indicated all plasma membrane localizations of the two novel soybean genes. The 3D structures indicated that the two soybean novel proteins Glyma09g02130 (NHX) and Glyma16g32821 (KEA) all belong to the cation/hydrogen antiporter family.

Using homology cloning method, a heat shock transcription factor (Hsf) like gene, ZmHsf-like, was cloned from maize (Zea mays) leaves. Sequence analyses showed that the open reading frame (ORF) of the gene ZmHsf-like is 1404 bp long, encoding 467 amino acids. The sequence of amino acids encoded by ZmHsf-like contains the most conserved and typical DNA-binding domain of Hsf family. By bombardment into onion epidermis, we firstly found that the ZmHsf-like was subcellular-located in nucleus. NucPred analysis revealed there is a classic NLS of KKRR peptide in protein. Real-time PCR showed that ZmHsf-like gene expressed in leaves, stems and roots of maize seedlings under normal growth conditions, and the highest expression level was in roots, lower in leaves and the lowest in stems. The ZmHsf-like gene expression could be up-regulated by heat shock, PEG, ABA, and H2O2 in different degrees, among which the heat shock and ABA worked more efficiently. Obvious differences of the peak value and its corresponding time point of ZmHsf-like gene expression were observed among treatments. Experiments with inhibitor further suggested that the up-regulation ZmHsf-like gene expression of heat shock was H2O2-dependent while the induction of ZmHsf-like with PEG did not depend on the existence of H2O2. These results pointed out that ZmHsf-like gene probably regulates responsive reactions to abiotic stresses especially heat shock and drought through different signal transduction pathways.