Unraveling Low Phosphorus Response Mechanisms in Salt-Tolerant Soybean Germplasms

This study focuses on elucidating the response mechanisms of low phosphorus stress in salt-tolerant soybean germplasms. Two soybean varieties, A74 (salt-tolerant and phosphorus-efficient) and A6 (salt-tolerant and phosphorus-inefficient), were chosen as the primary materials. The aim was to investigate how soybeans with different phosphorus efficiencies respond to low phosphorus stress in the presence of salt stress.The research approach combined physiochemical and transcriptional analysis, resulting in the identification of 14,075 differentially expressed genes through pairwise comparisons. PageMan analysis revealed that A74 exhibited enriched categories related to mitochondrial electron transport, secondary metabolism, stress responses, and miscellaneous functions when compared to A6 under low phosphorus conditions.Moreover, weighted correlation network analysis unveiled two gene modules highly correlated with acid phosphatase and antioxidant enzyme activity. Within these modules, central hub genes such as citrate synthase, acyl-coenzyme A oxidase4 (ACX), cytokinin dehydrogenase 7 (CXXs), and two-component response regulator ARR2 were identified.This project aims to provide a deeper understanding of how salt-tolerant soybean germplasms with varying phosphorus efficiencies adapt and respond to low phosphorus stress, shedding light on potential strategies for enhancing crop resilience under challenging environmental conditions.