Yingbin Xue: Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. yingbinxue@yeah.net.
Qingli Zhuang: Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. 15889964001@163.com.
Shengnan Zhu: Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. shnzhu@163.com.
Bixian Xiao: Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. 13570450400@163.com.
Cuiyue Liang: Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. liangcy@scau.edu.cn.
Hong Liao: Root Biology Center, Haixia Institute of Science and Technology, Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University, Fuzhou 350000, China. hliao@fafu.edu.cn.
Jiang Tian: Root Biology Center, State Key Laboratory for Conservation and Utilization of Subtropical Agro-Bioresources, College of Natural Resources and Environment, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China. jtian@scau.edu.cn.
Phosphorus (P) deficiency is a major limitation for legume crop production. Although overall adaptations of plant roots to P deficiency have been extensively studied, only fragmentary information is available in regard to root nodule responses to P deficiency. In this study, genome wide transcriptome analysis was conducted using RNA-seq analysis in soybean nodules grown under P-sufficient (500 μM KH₂PO₄) and P-deficient (25 μM KH₂PO₄) conditions to investigate molecular mechanisms underlying soybean () nodule adaptation to phosphate (Pi) starvation. Phosphorus deficiency significantly decreased soybean nodule growth and nitrogenase activity. Nodule Pi concentrations declined by 49% in response to P deficiency, but this was well below the 87% and 88% decreases observed in shoots and roots, respectively. Nodule transcript profiling revealed that a total of 2055 genes exhibited differential expression patterns between Pi sufficient and deficient conditions. A set of (differentially expressed genes) DEGs appeared to be involved in maintaining Pi homeostasis in soybean nodules, including eight (), eight genes coding proteins containing the domain (, and 16 (). The results suggest that a complex transcriptional regulatory network participates in soybean nodule adaption to Pi starvation, most notable a Pi signaling pathway, are involved in maintaining Pi homeostasis in nodules.
