Response of the DUF630 gene family in soybean to drought stress: A comprehensive expression analysis

The domain of unknown function 630 (DUF630) protein family play a significant role in plant development and abiotic stress responses. However, their exact roles in soybean have not been thoroughly investigated. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of the GmDUF630 gene family, which was categorized into four distinct phylogenetic groups. Gene expression profiling revealed distinct patterns, with a strong stress response exhibited by a GmDUF630 gene cluster. Notably, GmDUF630-31 showed a 9-fold increase under drought stress. Gene promoter analysis revealed cis-regulatory elements associated with developmental processes and abiotic stress response. Tissue-specific expression was also observed. Furthermore, GmDUF630-3 was expressed at a 7-fold higher level expression in leaves, while GmDUF630-13 and GmDUF630-10 were expressed at a 15-fold and 20-fold higher level in roots and stems, respectively. These results strongly indicate that the GmDUF630 gene family is crucial for soybean adaptation to environmental stresses, making it a valuable source of candidate genes for developing stress-resilient soybean varieties.