Soybean is the world's foremost oilseed crop, and leaf morphology significantly influences yield potential by affecting light interception, canopy structure, and photosynthetic efficiency. In this study, leaf length, leaf width, maximum leaf width, leaf apex opening angle, and leaf area were measured in 216 soybean accessions, and genome-wide association studies (GWAS) were conducted using genomic resequencing data to identify genetic variants associated with leaf morphological traits. A total of 824 SNP loci were found to be significantly associated with leaf shape, and 130 candidate genes were identified in the genomic regions flanking these significant loci. KEGG enrichment analysis revealed that the above candidate genes were significantly enriched in arginine biosynthesis (ko00220), nitrogen metabolism (ko00910), carbon metabolism (ko01200), pyruvate metabolism (ko00620), glycolysis/glycogenolysis (ko00010), starch and sucrose metabolism (ko00500), plant-pathogen interaction (ko04626), and amino acid biosynthesis (ko01230). By combining KEGG and GO enrichment analysis as well as expression level analysis, four candidate genes related to leaf shape (Glyma.10G141600, Glyma.13G062700, Glyma.16G041200 and Glyma.20G115500) were identified. Further, through candidate gene association analysis, it was found that the Glyma.10G141600 gene was divided into two major haplotypes. The leaf area of haplotype 1 was significantly smaller than that of haplotype 2. Subsequently, the cutting amplification polymorphism sequence (CAPS) molecular marker was developed. The marker Chr.10:37502955 can effectively distinguish the differences in leaf size through enzymatic digestion technology, and has excellent typing ability and application potential. The above results can provide a theoretical basis for molecular-assisted selection (MAS) of soybean leaf morphology.

The content and composition of fatty acids are crucial determinants of soybean nutritional quality. In this study, we conducted an expression genome-wide association analysis (eGWAS) using 298 soybean germplasm accessions. We identified 904,984 high-quality SNP markers (MAF > 0.02, missing data ≤ 10

Grain size and leaf angle are closely related to the final yields of rice (Oryza sativa). Brassinosteroids (BRs) are plant-specific steroid hormones that play a crucial role in regulating grain size and leaf angle; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms require further investigation. Here, we report on OsbHLH186, which encodes an atypical bHLH transcription factor. OsbHLH186 influences grain size and leaf angle by affecting cell expansion. The cr-osbhlh186 mutants exhibit smaller grains and erect leaves, whereas overexpressed OX-OsbHLH186 plants display larger grains and increased leaf angle. OsbHLH186 acts as a positive regulator in response to BR signaling, with the cr-osbhlh186 mutant being insensitive to exogenous BR treatment, while OX-OsbHLH186 plants are hypersensitive. Biochemical and genetic analyses demonstrate that OsbHLH186 interacts with BRASSINOSTEROID UPREGULATED 1-LIKE1 (OsBUL1) and OsBC1, functioning within a common pathway. Further transient expression assays indicate that OsbHLH186 and OsBUL1 mediate the transcriptional activity of OsBC1. Overall, these findings suggest that OsbHLH186 is associated with a potential transcriptional complex that mediates BR signaling and rice development, indicating that OsbHLH186 could serve as a promising target for improving plant architecture and grain shape in rice.

Phosphofructokinase (PFK), a core metabolic enzyme conserved across all organisms, plays a pivotal role in plant growth and development as well as in the regulation of responses to abiotic stresses. While the PFK gene family has been characterized in a variety of plant species and a partial identification in soybean has been reported recently, the complete repertoire and the functional roles of this gene family in soybean remain to be fully elucidated, with inconsistencies in gene number observed across different studies. In this study, we further performed a systematic genome-wide screening of soybean and identified a total of 27 GmPFK family members. Phylogenetic tree analysis further classified these members into three distinct subfamilies. Conserved structure analysis revealed that all GmPFKs contain the PFK domain (PF00365). Real-time quantitative PCR (qRT-PCR) analysis demonstrated that the GmPFK6 gene exhibited a significant upregulation of expression under salt stress. Furthermore, the GmPFK6 gene was cloned and introduced into soybean hairy roots. The results demonstrated that under salt stress, the root length and fresh weight of hairy roots from the control lines were significantly greater than those from the transgenic lines. In addition, under salt stress, the superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in the control lines was significantly higher than that in the transgenic lines, while the malondialdehyde (MDA) content in the transgenic lines was significantly lower than that in the control lines.

Soybean is the dominant source of plant-derived protein, yet improving seed protein content without reducing yield remains a breeding challenge. While the phytohormone auxin is well-established as a crucial regulator of seed development, its precise role in metabolic homeostasis governing protein accumulation remains largely unexplored. Here, we show that disrupting auxin conjugation via CRISPR-Cas9-generated gh3Q (GH3 quadruple) mutants elevates free auxin levels and is associated with increased seed size, hundred-seed weight, and protein content. Time-course transcriptome profiling of seed coats and embryos identified the R6-stage seed coat as a pivotal tissue for protein accumulation, where seven key seed storage protein genes (2S albumin and 11S glycinin family members) were significantly up-regulated. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) further uncovered auxin polar transport modules and novel hub genes that are co-expressed with potentially link auxin signaling to protein storage pathways. These findings suggest that auxin homeostasis may link phytohormone signaling and metabolism allocation in soybean seed development. Our study provides genetic targets and a regulatory network for developing high-protein soybean varieties.

Rice yield is significantly impacted by elevated temperatures and heat damage, making it crucial to identify heat stress response genes and analyze their molecular mechanisms. In this study, we obtained a temperature-sensitive mutant, ts12, by screening an indica restorer line, R225 (wild type, WT), which was mutated through γ-ray irradiation. In the ts12 mutant, the glume fails to close properly under high-temperature conditions, resulting in a substantial reduction in the seed-setting ratio and grain yield. Cytological observations revealed that the reduction in transverse cell layers and the shortening of cell length contribute to the open glume phenotype in ts12. Map-based cloning and transgenic complementation studies indicated that TS12 encodes the ascorbate peroxidase OsAPX5, with a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) in ts12 leading to a truncated OsAPX5 protein. Furthermore, OsAPX5 was found to be widely expressed in the root, stem, leaf sheath, and young panicles, with its protein localized in the mitochondrion. Under high-temperature conditions, the ts12 mutant accumulates a higher concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) compared to the wild type (WT). Through yeast two-hybrid, luciferase, and pull-down assays, we demonstrated that OsAPX5 interacts with the rice glume development regulator OsMADS1. Additionally, the expression levels of OsMADS1, OsMADS5, and OsMADS34, which are associated with glume development, were significantly decreased in ts12 compared to the WT. Moreover, the OsAPX5-OsMADS1 interaction promoted the transcriptional activity of OsMADS1 and OsMADS34. These results indicate that OsAPX5 primarily influences ROS levels and the expression of OsMADS1, OsMADS5, and OsMADS34, thereby regulating the high-temperature stress response in rice.

Fatty acid transporters (FAXs) play an important role in fatty acid synthesis by facilitating transport fatty acids from the plastid to the endoplasmic reticulum. This process is essential for providing precursor substances necessary for triglycerides (TAGs). Although FAX genes have been identified in variety of plant species, the identification and molecular functions of the GmFAX gene members in soybean are still unclear. In this study, soybean FAX genes were identified through the utilization of the Phytozome (v13) and NCBI online websites. Subsequently, phylogenetic trees, expression patterns, gene structures, and qRT-PCR were analyzed. A total of eight GmFAX members were identified at the whole genome level, and further phylogenetic analysis revealed that these members can be categorized into four subfamilies. In addition, all members of GmFAX contain a highly conserved domain Tmemb_14. Through qRT-PCR analysis, it was found that the expression level of the GmFAX8 gene is relatively high in leaves and stems. Further investigation revealed that the total fatty acid content in hairy roots overexpressing the GmFAX8 gene was significantly greater than that observed in the control strain. The results presented above suggest that the GmFAX8 gene may play an important role in the accumulation of oil within soybeans.

Enhancing the oil or protein content of soybean, a major crop for oil and protein production is highly desirable. GmSWEET10a encodes a sugar transporter that is strongly selected during domestication and breeding, increasing seed size and oil content. GmSWEET10b is functionally similar to GmSWEET10a, yet has not been artificially selected. Here, AlphaFold is used to find that C-terminal variants of GmSWEET10a can endow enhanced or reduced transport activity. Guided by AlphaFold, the functionality is improved for GmSWEET10a in terms of oil content through gene editing. Furthermore, novel GmSWEET10b haplotypes possessing strengthened or weakened sugar-transport capabilities that are absent in nature are engineered. Consequently, soybean oil content or protein content in independent GmSWEET10b gene-edited lines during multi-year and multi-site field trials is consistently increased, without negatively affecting yield. The study demonstrates that the combination of AlphaFold-guided protein design and gene editing has the potential to generate novel beneficial alleles, which can optimize protein function in the context of crop breeding.

Drought can limit plant growth. The ABRE binding factor (ABF) gene family is extensively involved in multifarious bioregulatory processes in plants. However, kiwifruit has not yet been systematically analyzed. This study analyzed the response of kiwifruit AcABF genes to drought stress. Eleven AcABF genes were distributed on nine chromosomes and clustered into three subfamilies with Arabidopsis AtABF genes, AcABF2, AcABF3, AcABF8, AcABF9, and AcABF10, which have drought resistance functions, and AtABF1, AtABF2, AtABF3, and AtABF4 were clustered in Group I. The structural domains of the nine ABF genes in Group I were highly conserved, and the protein structures were highly similar. In the analysis of the five AcABF genes in Group I, all of their cis-acting elements were related to ABA, the content of ABA-like hormones was significantly increased after drought stress, and most of the GO (Gene Ontology) and KEGG (Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes) enrichment results were related to hormonal processes. A total of six AcABF genes were upregulated under drought stress. qRT-PCR was performed to validate the AcABF genes of Group I. The correlation coefficients of the results with the transcriptome data were all above 0.70, and the expression level of ABA increased under drought treatment. These results indicated that the five AcABF genes were positively correlated with ABA under drought stress and that, by synthesizing ABA and facilitating the expression of ABF gene family members, the tolerance of kiwifruit increased. These results provide a solid foundation for further research on improving drought tolerance in kiwifruit.

KCS, an endogenous cellular enzyme, catalyzes the elongation of fatty acid chains and plays a crucial role in the biosynthesis of plant epidermal wax. Through processes such as transfer, decarboxylation, and fixation, it contributes to plant growth and adaptation to abiotic and biotic stresses. However, the mechanism by which KCS genes participate in the response of tomato plants to driught remains unclear. In this study, 15 SlKCS gene family members were identified in tomato using bioinformatics methods. Comprehensive analyses were conducted on their amino acid sequences, conserved motifs, cis-elements, phylogenetic relationships, duplication events, and collinearity. Transcriptome and qRT-PCR analysis revealed diverse expression patterns of SlKCS genes under abiotic stresses, with SlKCS8 and SlKCS10 displaying significant upregulation during drought conditions. The two genes were localized to the plasma membrane and exhibit tissue-specific expression. Functional studies demonstrated that silencing SlKCS8 and SlKCS10 reduced drought tolerance in tomato by disrupting stomatal closure. Further analysis revealed that the silencing of KCS compromised the drought tolerance of tomato by reducing its capacity to scavenge reactive oxygen species. These findings provide critical insights into the regulatory functions of SlKCS genes, particularly SlKCS8 and SlKCS10, in drought resistance. Additionally, this research offers important genetic resources for developing drought-tolerant tomato cultivars.

The bile acid: sodium symporter (BASS) plays a pivotal role in plant growth, development, and response to abiotic stress. In this study, eight members of the BASSs group were identified through genome-wide screening. Additionally, employing phylogenetic analysis allowed for the categorization of the BASS gene family into five distinct subfamilies. The localization of GmBASSs in young tobacco leaves was primarily observed within chloroplasts using confocal microscopy. The qRT-PCR analysis revealed that a significant response was observed in the majority of GmBASSs genes toward abiotic stress, such as NaCl, NaHCO3, and 20% PEG6000. The GmBASSs gene was also observed to display distinct expression patterns across various tissue. It is noteworthy that the GmBASS2-2 gene exhibits a remarkably high level of upregulation in response to salt stress, suggesting its pivotal role in mediating salt stress responses. The GmBASS2-2 gene was cloned and overexpressed in soybean hair roots and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We found the GmBASS2-2 overexpressing Saccharomyces cerevisiae grew better than the control (pYES3 empty vector) under salt stress. The transgenic soybean plants overexpressing the GmBASS2-2 gene demonstrated superior growth compared to control plants. Gene-based association analysis showed that a total of 2 haplotypes were identified for the GmBASS2-2 gene, and Hap2 haplotype has emerged as a superior allele for enhancing salt tolerance. The above findings suggest that the GmBASS2-2 gene might be involved in the process of soybean tolerance to salt stress. The findings of this study may provide valuable insights into the regulatory mechanisms of GmBASS2-2 in response to salt stress in soybean.

B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)-associated athanogene (BAG) family genes play prominent roles in regulating plant growth, development, and stress response. Although the molecular mechanism underlying BAG's response to abiotic stress has been studied in Arabidopsis, the function of OsBAG underlying saline-alkaline stress tolerance in rice remains unclear. In this study, OsBAG6, a chaperone regulator localized to mitochondria, was identified as a novel negative regulator of saline-alkaline stress tolerance in rice. The expression level of OsBAG6 was induced by high concentration of salt, high pH, heat and abscisic acid treatments. Overexpression of OsBAG6 in rice resulted in significantly reduced plant heights, grain size, grain weight, as well as higher sensitivity to saline-alkaline stress. By contrast, the osbag6 loss-of-function mutants exhibited decreased sensitivity to saline-alkaline stress. The transcriptomic analysis uncovered differentially expressed genes related to the function of "response to oxidative stress", "defense response", and "secondary metabolite biosynthetic process" in the shoots and roots of OsBAG6-overexpressing transgenic lines. Furthermore, cytoplasmic levels of Ca2+ increase rapidly in plants exposed to saline-alkaline stress. OsBAG6 bound to calcium sensor OsCaM1-1 under normal conditions, which was identified by comparative interactomics, but not in the presence of elevated Ca2+. Released OsCaM1-1 saturated with Ca2+ is then able to regulate downstream stress-responsive genes as part of the response to saline-alkaline stress. OsBAG6 also interacted with energy biosynthesis and metabolic pathway proteins that are involved in plant growth and saline-alkaline stress response mechanisms. This study reveals a novel function for mitochondrial localized OsBAG6 proteins in the saline-alkaline stress response alongside OsCaM1-1.

The homolog gene of the Growth Arrest and DNA Damage-inducible 45 (GADD45) in rice functions in the regulation of plant architecture, grain yield, and blast resistance. The Growth Arrest and DNA Damage-inducible 45 (GADD45) family proteins, well-established stress sensors and tumor suppressors in mammals, serve as pivotal regulators of genotoxic stress responses and tumorigenesis. In contrast, the homolog and role of GADD45 in plants have remained unclear. Herein, using forward genetics, we identified an activation tagging mutant AC13 exhibited dwarf characteristics resulting from the loss-of-function of the rice GADD45α homolog, denoted as OsGADD45a1. osgadd45a1 mutants displayed reduced plant height, shortened panicle length, and decreased grain yield compared to the wild-type Kitaake. Conversely, no obvious differences in plant height, panicle length, or grain yield were observed between wild-type and OsGADD45a1 overexpression plants. OsGADD45a1 displayed relatively high expression in germinated seeds and panicles, with localization in both the nucleus and cytoplasm. RNA-sequencing analysis suggested a potential role for OsGADD45a1 in the regulation of photosynthesis, and binding partner identification indicates OsGADD45a1 interacts with OsRML1 to regulate rice growth. Intriguingly, our study unveiled a novel role for OsGADD45a1 in rice blast resistance, as osgadd45a1 mutant showed enhanced resistance to Magnaporthe oryzae, and the expression of OsGADD45a1 was diminished upon blast fungus treatment. The involvement of OsGADD45a1 in rice blast fungus resistance presents a groundbreaking finding. In summary, our results shed light on the multifaceted role of OsGADD45a1 in rice, encompassing biotic stress response and the modulation of several agricultural traits, including plant height, panicle length, and grain yield.

Transcription factor OsGRAS2 regulates salt stress tolerance and yield in rice. Plant-specific GRAS transcription factors are involved in many different aspects of plant growth and development, as well as in biotic and abiotic stress responses, although whether and how they participate in salt stress tolerance in rice (Oryza sativa) remains unclear. A screen of a previously generated set of activation-tagged lines revealed that Activation Tagging Line 63 (AC63) displayed a salt stress-sensitive phenotype. Subsequent thermal asymmetric interlace polymerase chain reaction (TAIL-PCR) showed that AC63 was due to overexpression of OsGRAS2. Ectopic overexpression of OsGRAS2 caused increased salt stress sensitivity, while osgras2 loss-of-function lines displayed salt stress-resistant phenotypes. Further, we observed that OsGRAS2 impacts Na+ and K+ ion homeostasis in the shoots. Mutation of OsGRAS2 increased salt tolerance without yield penalty. Phylogenetic tree analysis indicated that OsGRAS2 belonged to the LISCL subfamily of GRAS transcription factors and had high amino acid similarity to OsGRAS23. Both OsGRAS2 and OsGRAS23 underwent homomeric and heteromeric interactions, indicating that they formed homo- and hetero-dimers. Moreover, OsGRAS2 and OsGRAS23 showed transcriptional activation activity that was mostly governed by motif1, which was located at the N-terminal region. Further, we found OsGRAS2 binds to the OsWRKY53 promoter to increase its expression, thereby negatively impacting the OsHKT1;5 expression. This study demonstrates a novel insight into how LISCL subfamily GRAS transcription factors impact salt stress tolerance in rice.

Protein content (PC) is crucial to the nutritional quality of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill]. In this study, a total of 266 accessions were used to perform a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in three tested environments. A total of 23,131 high-quality SNP markers (MAF ≥ 0.02, missing data ≤ 10%) were identified. A total of 40 association signals were significantly associated with PC. Among them, five novel quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) were discovered, and another 32 QTNs were found to be overlapping with the genomic regions of known quantitative trait loci (QTL) related to soybean PC. Combined with GWAS, metabolome and transcriptome sequencing, 59 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that might control the change in protein content were identified. Meantime, four commonly upregulated differentially abundant metabolites (DAMs) and 29 commonly downregulated DAMs were found. Remarkably, the soybean gene Glyma.08G136900, which is homologous with Arabidopsis hydroxyproline-rich glycoproteins (HRGPs), may play an important role in improving the PC. Additionally, Glyma.08G136900 was divided into two main haplotype in the tested accessions. The PC of haplotype 1 was significantly lower than that of haplotype 2. The results of this study provided insights into the genetic mechanisms regulating protein content in soybean.

dnal7, a novel allelic variant of the OsHSP40, affects rice plant architecture and grain yield by coordinating auxins, cytokinins, and gibberellic acids. Plant height and leaf morphology are the most important traits of the ideal plant architecture (IPA), and discovering related genes is critical for breeding high-yield rice. Here, a dwarf and narrow leaf 7 (dnal7) mutant was identified from a γ-ray treated mutant population, which exhibits pleiotropic effects, including dwarfing, narrow leaves, small seeds, and low grain yield per plant compared to the wild type (WT). Histological analysis showed that the number of veins and the distance between adjacent small veins (SVs) were significantly reduced compared to the WT, indicating that DNAL7 controls leaf size by regulating the formation of veins. Map-based cloning and transgenic complementation revealed that DNAL7 is allelic to NAL11, which encodes OsHSP40, and the deletion of 2 codons in dnal7 destroyed the His-Pro-Asp (HPD) motif of OsHSP40. In addition, expression of DNAL7 in both WT and dnal7 gradually increased with the increase of temperature in the range of 27–31 °C. Heat stress significantly affected the seedling height and leaf width of the dnal7 mutant. A comparative transcriptome analysis of WT and dnal7 revealed that DNAL7 influenced multiple metabolic pathways, including plant hormone signal transduction, carbon metabolism, and biosynthesis of amino acids. Furthermore, the contents of the cytokinins in leaf blades were much higher in dnal7 than in the WT, whereas the contents of auxins were lower in dnal7. The contents of bioactive gibberellic acids (GAs) including GA1, GA3, and GA4 in shoots were decreased in dnal7. Thus, DNAL7 regulates rice plant architecture by coordinating the balance of auxins, cytokinins, and GAs. These results indicate that OsHSP40 is a pleiotropic gene, which plays an important role in improving rice yield and plant architecture.

Soybean vegetable oil is an important source of the human diet. However, the analysis of the genetic mechanism leading to changes in soybean oil content is still incomplete. In this study, a total of 227 soybean materials were applied and analyzed by a genome-wide association study (GWAS). There are 44 quantitative trait nucleotides (QTNs) that were identified as associated with oil content. A total of six, four, and 34 significant QTN loci were identified in Xiangyang, Hulan, and Acheng, respectively. Of those, 26 QTNs overlapped with or were near the known oil content quantitative trait locus (QTL), and 18 new QTNs related to oil content were identified. A total of 594 genes were located near the peak single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) from three tested environments. These candidate genes exhibited significant enrichment in tropane, piperidine, and pyridine alkaloid biosynthesiss (ko00960), ABC transporters (ko02010), photosynthesis-antenna proteins (ko00196), and betalain biosynthesis (ko00965). Combined with the GWAS and weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), four candidate genes (Glyma.18G300100, Glyma.11G221100, Glyma.13G343300, and Glyma.02G166100) that may regulate oil content were identified. In addition, Glyma.18G300100 was divided into two main haplotypes in the studied accessions. The oil content of haplotype 1 is significantly lower than that of haplotype 2. Our research findings provide a theoretical basis for improving the regulatory mechanism of soybean oil content.

OsGADD45a1, a member of the growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible 45 (GADD45) family in rice, has a newly identified homologue, OsGADD45a2, which differs from OsGADD45a1 in only three amino acids. The role and function of the OsGADD45a2 in DNA demethylation are not well-understood and were investigated in this study. Osgadd45a2 mutants exhibited reduced height, shorter panicle length, fewer grains per panicle, and a lower seed setting rate compared with wild-type plants. Moreover, the results showed that OsGADD45a2 negatively regulates rice blast fungus resistance and exhibited high expression in various tissues. Using the 3000 Rice Genomes Project database, we identified four major haplotypes (each with over 100 cultivars) based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms in the coding sequence of OsGADD45a2. Among these, Hap4 was associated with a significantly greater plant height than Hap1-3, possibly due to a functional alteration of OsGADD45a2 linked to the SNP at position 2614993. In OsGADD45a2 overexpression lines, significant decreases in CG and CHG methylation levels were observed in protein-coding genes, leading to their upregulation. Overall, our findings indicate that OsGADD45a2 acts as a methylation regulator, mediating the expression of genes essential for plant growth and development and blast resistance.

ABSTRACT The comparisons among 126 14 C dates of Carex samples including separated leaf and root parts with acid (A)-treatment and acid-base-acid (ABA)-treatment, and 48 published 14 C dates of bulk peat plants on a 92-cm core from Jinchuan Mire in NE China, indicate old carbon influence (OCI) on the 14 C dates. The OCI varies with plant species, pretreatment and peat depth. In vascular peat plants such as Carex , humin fractions (remains after ABA treatment) and humic acids are representative of the original plant precursor, while fulvic acids are regarded as the secondary mobile product which should be removed for 14 C dating. ABA- treatment removes both fulvic acids and humic acids, whereas A-treatment gets rid of only fulvic acids. Carex roots uptake more dissolved CO 2 in peat water. Carex leaves may use more CO 2 (involving degassing CO 2 ) above the peat surface. By removing humic acids throughout ABA treatment, the OCI may vary differently over depth (time). ABA treatment cannot eliminate the fixed OCI in humin fractions of vascular peat plants, instead, this treatment may enhance OCI by removing humic acid which may represent the true age of the plants. In addition, Bacon model results on this core could not show rapid changes in accumulation rate.

IntroductionGlyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is an essential key enzyme in the glycolytic pathway and plays an important role in stress responses. Although GAPDH family genes have been found in different plant species, the determination of their gene family analysis and their functional roles in soybean are still unknown. MethodsIn this study, gene sequence and expression data were obtained using online tools, and systematic evolution, expression profile analysis, and qRT-PCR analysis were conducted.Results and DiscussionHere a total of 16 GmGAPDH genes were identified on nine chromosomes, which were classified into three clusters. Additionally, all GmGAPDH genes harbor two highly conserved domains, including Gp_dh_N (PF00044) and Gp_dh_C (PF02800). The qRTPCR analysis also showed that most GmGAPDH genes significantly responded to multiple abiotic stresses, including NaHCO3, polyethylene glycol, cold, and salt. Among them, GmGAPDH14 was extraordinarily induced by salt stress. The GmGAPDH14 gene was cloned and overexpressed through soybean hair roots. The overexpressed transgenic soybean plants of the GmGAPDH14 gene have also shown better growth than that of control plants. Moreover, the overexpressed transgenic plants of GmGAPDH14 gene had higher activities of superoxide dismutase but lower malonaldehyde (MDA) content than those of control plants under salt stress. Meanwhile, a total of four haplotypes were found for the GmGAPDH14 gene, and haplotypes 2, 3, and 4 were beneficial for the tolerance of soybean to salt stress. These results suggest that the GmGAPDH14 gene might be involved in the process of soybean tolerance to salt stress. The results of this study will be valuable in understanding the role of GAPDH genes in the abiotic stress response of soybean.