Genome-Wide Analysis of the DNA-Binding with One Finger Gene Family Reveals Soybean Expression Pattern and Functional...

The Dof (DNA-binding with one finger) domain protein family is a plant-specific zinc finger transcription factor family that plays a role in various biological processes in plants. However, research on Dof transcription factors in soybean (Glycine max) remains limited. In this study, we identified 79 putative soybean Dof genes, which are distributed across the entire genome. A comparative phylogenetic analysis of the Dof gene family in soybean, Arabidopsis, rice, maize, and Medicago revealed five major groups. The synteny relationship analysis showed a large number of gene duplication events in soybean. Twelve cis-acting elements were detected in the promoter region of the Dof gene, including five hormone response elements and several environmental response elements. Expression pattern analysis indicated that most Gmdof genes exhibited specific expression patterns. Nine genes in group V, which exhibited higher expression in the root, were identified as significantly responsive to salt stress through qRT-PCR. The possible biological functions of several Gmdof genes were discussed, including Gmdof11.2, Gmdof2.1, and Gmdof16.2. In summary, this study integrated phylogenetic analysis with genome-wide expression profiling to provide valuable information for understanding the functional characteristics of Dof genes in soybean.