GmBZL3 Functions as a Major Brassinosteroid Signaling Regulator in Soybean

Brassinosteroids (BRs) are compounds produced by plants affecting their growth and development. In Arabidopsis and rice, transcription factors BZR1 and BES1/BZR2 have been defined as downstream regulators of the BR signalling pathway. Similar proteins (GMBZLs) have been found in soybean, where in GMBZL2 was recognized to have a conserved role in BR signalling regulation. However, additional study is needed to investigate the role of other GMBZLs. Thus, Li Song from Yangzhou University and team investigated the role of GmBZL3 and the results are published in BMC Plant Biology.

Gene expression patterns, conserved domains in coding sequences, and genomic replication times of four GmBZL orthologes indicated that GmBZL3 may have conserved functions in soybean development. The team overexpressed GmBZL3 in the Arabidopsis BR-insensitive mutant bri1–5 partially rescued the phenotypic defects including BR-insensitivity. This further indicates that GmBZL3 functions are conserved between soybean and the homologous Arabidopsis genes. Furthermore, the team identified BR-regulated GmBZL3 genes, and the findings show that GmBZL3 is a major transcription factor responsible for BR-regulated gene expression and soybean growth.

Read more findings in BMC Plant Biology.