AUTHOR=Chen Qiang , Shi Xiaolei , Ai Lijuan , Tian Xuan , Zhang Hongwei , Tian Jiawang , Wang Qianying , Zhang Mengchen , Cui Sujuan , Yang Chunyan , Zhao Hongtao 

TITLE=Genome-wide identification of genes encoding SWI/SNF components in soybean and the functional characterization of GmLFR1 in drought-stressed plants

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Plant Science

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/plant-science/articles/10.3389/fpls.2023.1176376

DOI=10.3389/fpls.2023.1176376

ISSN=1664-462X

ABSTRACT=<p>ATP-dependent SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling complexes (CRCs) are evolutionarily conserved multi-component machines that regulate transcription, replication, and genome stability in eukaryotes. SWI/SNF components play pivotal roles in development and various stress responses in plants. However, the compositions and biological functions of SWI/SNF complex subunits remain poorly understood in soybean. In this study, we used bioinformatics to identify 39 genes encoding SWI/SNF subunit distributed on the 19 chromosomes of soybean. The promoter regions of the genes were enriched with several <italic>cis</italic>-regulatory elements that are responsive to various hormones and stresses. Digital expression profiling and qRT-PCR revealed that most of the SWI/SNF subunit genes were expressed in multiple tissues of soybean and were sensitive to drought stress. Phenotypical, physiological, and molecular genetic analyses revealed that <italic>GmLFR1</italic> (<italic>Leaf and Flower-Related1</italic>) plays a negative role in drought tolerance in soybean and <italic>Arabidopsis thaliana</italic>. Together, our findings characterize putative components of soybean SWI/SNF complex and indicate possible roles for GmLFR1 in plants under drought stress. This study offers a foundation for comprehensive analyses of soybean SWI/SNF subunit and provides mechanistic insight into the epigenetic regulation of drought tolerance in soybean.</p>