Cloning and Expression Analysis of GmRSZ21 Gene in Soybean (Glycine max)
DU Meng-Xue1, WANG De-Ying1, LI Jing-Yu1, MEN Qing-Mei1, HE Yun1, MENG Ling-Zhi1,*, GUO Shang-Jing1,2,*
1 School of Agricultural Science and Engineering, Liaocheng University, Liaocheng 252000, China; 2 School of Life Science, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao 266000, China
Abstract：The SR (serine/arginine-rich) protein family is a class of key regulators in plants, which is involved in plant growth and development, and responsive to abiotic stresses. In this study, GmRSZ21 (GenBank No. XP_014634806.1), the subfamily of RSZ (Zn-knuckles-type arginine/serine-rich protein), was cloned from soybean (Glycine max) and bioinformatics and expression analysis were carried out. The results showed that GmRSZ21 gene contained 4 exons and 3 introns, and the total length of the coding region was 561 bp. GmRSZ21 encoded 186 amino acids, among which arginine accounted for the highest proportion (19.4%). The relative molecular weight of GmRSZ21 protein was 21.36 kD, and its secondary structure was mainly random coil (57.53%), without transmembrane domains or signal peptides. The GmRSZ21 protein was predicted to be an unstable hydrophilic protein and located in the nucleus. Amino acid sequence comparison showed that the GmRSZ21 protein was highly conserved among different species. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the GmRSZ21 protein had the closest evolutionary relationship with its homologues in wild soybean (G. soja). The GmRSZ21 gene promoter contained 20 cis-acting elements, among which, the light response elements were most abundant. Expression analysis showed that GmRSZ21 was expressed in all tissues, with the highest expression in stems and the lowest expression in pods at the onset of bulging; the GmRSZ21 expression could be induced by drought and salt stress, and it was hypothesised that this gene might be participated in abiotic stresses in the soybean. This study provides a reference for the functional analysis of the SR protein family and its application in soybean molecular breeding.
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