Identification of RhoGAP Gene Family in Soybean (Glycine max L.) and Its Role in the Response to Rhizobium Infection

Qin, Chengcheng; Huang, Han; Sun, Yanbo; Luo, Ruixue; Zhang, Xin; Su, Bohong; Song, Jian

doi:10.3390/ijms27146239

Open AccessArticle

Identification of RhoGAP Gene Family in Soybean (Glycine max L.) and Its Role in the Response to Rhizobium Infection

by

Chengcheng Qin

¹,

Han Huang

¹,

Yanbo Sun

²,

Ruixue Luo

¹,

Xin Zhang

¹,

Bohong Su

^3,* and

Jian Song

^1,*

¹

College of Life Sciences, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China

²

College of Agronomy and Biotechnology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100193, China

³

MARA Key Laboratory of Sustainable Crop Production in the Middle Reaches of the Yangtze River (Co-Construction by Ministry and Province)/Hubei Key Laboratory of Waterlogging Disaster and Agricultural Use of Wetland, College of Agriculture, Yangtze University, Jingzhou 434025, China

^*

Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27(14), 6239; https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27146239

Submission received: 3 June 2026 / Revised: 10 July 2026 / Accepted: 11 July 2026 / Published: 13 July 2026

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Latest Research on Plant Genomics and Genome Editing, 2nd Edition)

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Abstract

Rho GTPase-activating proteins (RhoGAPs) are characterized by a conserved RhoGAP domain and function as negative regulators of Rho GTPases, playing important roles in plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stimuli. In this study, 19 GmRhoGAP genes were identified in the soybean genome and found to be unevenly distributed across 11 chromosomes. Comprehensive analyses were performed, including gene structure, conserved motifs, protein domains, gene duplication, synteny, cis-acting elements, tissue-specific expression, and quantitative real-time PCR under rhizobial infection. Structural analysis revealed substantial diversity in intron-exon organization but high conservation of motif composition, with all members containing the conserved RhoGAP domain. A total of 20 segmentally duplicated gene pairs were identified, indicating expansion of the GmRhoGAP family in soybean. Inter-species synteny analysis showed closer evolutionary relationships with Arabidopsis than with rice, and Ka/Ks analysis suggested strong purifying selection during evolution. Promoter analysis indicated potential involvement in development, phytohormone signaling, stress responses, and light responsiveness. Expression profiling demonstrated distinct tissue-specific patterns. qRT-PCR further showed that GmRhoGAP genes respond differentially to rhizobial infection, with 10 generally upregulated genes and 4 downregulated genes. These analyses provide a framework for understanding this gene family and identify candidate genes for future research.

Keywords: RhoGAP; soybean; rhizobial infection; gene expression analysis

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MDPI and ACS Style

Qin, C.; Huang, H.; Sun, Y.; Luo, R.; Zhang, X.; Su, B.; Song, J. Identification of RhoGAP Gene Family in Soybean (Glycine max L.) and Its Role in the Response to Rhizobium Infection. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2026, 27, 6239. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27146239

AMA Style

Qin C, Huang H, Sun Y, Luo R, Zhang X, Su B, Song J. Identification of RhoGAP Gene Family in Soybean (Glycine max L.) and Its Role in the Response to Rhizobium Infection. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. 2026; 27(14):6239. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27146239

Chicago/Turabian Style

Qin, Chengcheng, Han Huang, Yanbo Sun, Ruixue Luo, Xin Zhang, Bohong Su, and Jian Song. 2026. "Identification of RhoGAP Gene Family in Soybean (Glycine max L.) and Its Role in the Response to Rhizobium Infection" International Journal of Molecular Sciences 27, no. 14: 6239. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27146239

APA Style

Qin, C., Huang, H., Sun, Y., Luo, R., Zhang, X., Su, B., & Song, J. (2026). Identification of RhoGAP Gene Family in Soybean (Glycine max L.) and Its Role in the Response to Rhizobium Infection. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 27(14), 6239. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijms27146239

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Identification of RhoGAP Gene Family in Soybean (Glycine max L.) and Its Role in the Response to Rhizobium Infection

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