Abstract Water deficit is one of the major limitations to soybean production worldwide, yet the genetic basis of drought-responsive mechanisms in crops remains poorly understood. In order to study the gene expression patterns in leaves and roots of soybean, two contrasting genotypes, Embrapa 48 (drought-tolerant) and BR 16 (drought-sensitive), were evaluated under moderate and severe water deficit. Transcription factors from the AP2/EREBP and WRKY families were investigated. Embrapa 48 showed 770 more up-regulated genes than BR 16, in eight categories. In general, leaves presented more differentially expressed genes (DEGs) than roots. Embrapa 48 responded to water deficit faster than BR 16, presenting a greater number of DEGs since the first signs of drought. Embrapa 48 exhibited initial modulation of genes associated with stress, while maintaining the level of the ones related to basic functions. The genes expressed exclusively in the drought-tolerant cultivar, belonging to the category of dehydration responsive genes, and the ones with a contrasting expression pattern between the genotypes are examples of important candidates to confer tolerance to plants. Finally, this study identified genes of the AP2/EREBP and WRKY families related to drought tolerance.

中文翻译：

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具有对比耐受性特征的大豆基因型的叶和根组织中响应缺水的差异基因表达


摘要 缺水是全球大豆生产的主要限制因素之一，但作物干旱响应机制的遗传基础仍然知之甚少。为了研究大豆叶和根中的基因表达模式，在中度和重度缺水条件下对两种对比基因型 Embrapa 48（耐旱）和 BR 16（干旱敏感）进行了评估。研究了 AP2/EREBP 和 WRKY 家族的转录因子。 Embrapa 48 在八个类别中比 BR 16 多出 770 个上调基因。一般来说，叶子比根呈现更多的差异表达基因（DEG）。 Embrapa 48 对缺水的反应比 BR 16 更快，自出现干旱迹象以来就呈现出更多的 DEG。 Embrapa 48表现出与压力相关的基因的初始调节，同时维持与基本功能相关的基因的水平。仅在耐旱品种中表达的基因，属于脱水响应基因的类别，以及在基因型之间具有对比表达模式的基因是赋予植物耐受性的重要候选基因的例子。最后，本研究鉴定了与耐旱性相关的 AP2/EREBP 和 WRKY 家族基因。