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Updated: Jan 12, 2026

Author Spotlight: Soybean Hairy Root Transformation for the Analysis of Gene Function
Published on: May 5, 2023
Functional characterization of GmSRS14 in regulating root nodule development of soybean
Kangjun Fan1, Yue Wu1, Yonghua Qin1
1Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory for Protection and Application of Special Plant Germplasm in Wuling Area of China, College of Life Sciences, South-Central MinZu University, Wuhan, 430074, China.
None:
SHORT INTERNODES (SHI)-related sequence (SRS) proteins are plant-specific transcription factors that modulate hormone biosynthesis and signalling. Their contribution to legume-rhizobium symbiosis, however, remains largely unexplored. Phylogenetic and collinearity analyses of legume SRS genes classified 12 subclasses and revealed soybean's evolutionary relationships, including large-scale gene duplication. GmSRS14 was specifically highly expressed in root nodules and localised in the nucleus only. Exogenous IAA modulates its expression at low concentrations (1 μM), while high concentrations (100 μM) decrease nodule expression. All ABA concentrations tested (10, 20 and 50 μM) inhibited nodule growth, nitrogenase activity and GmSRS14 expression. Functional validation via hairy root transformation demonstrated GmSRS14 overexpression (GmSRS14-OE) increased nodule number, weight, and nitrogenase activity, while GmSRS14 silencing (GmSRS14-RNAi) suppressed nodulation. This study provides a new idea for breeding soybean varieties with high efficiency of nitrogen fixation.
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