Functional Characterization of the Lysine-Specific Histone Demethylases Family in Soybean
Mengshi Liu,
Jiacan Jiang,
Yapeng Han,
Mengying Shi,
Xianli Li,
Yingxiang Wang,
Zhicheng Dong,
Cunyi Yang
Affiliations
Mengshi Liu
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Subcenter of National Center for Soybean Improvement, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Jiacan Jiang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Subcenter of National Center for Soybean Improvement, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Yapeng Han
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Institute of Genetics, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
Mengying Shi
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Subcenter of National Center for Soybean Improvement, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Xianli Li
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Subcenter of National Center for Soybean Improvement, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Yingxiang Wang
State Key Laboratory of Genetic Engineering and Institute of Genetics, Institute of Plant Biology, School of Life Sciences, Fudan University, Shanghai 200240, China
Zhicheng Dong
Guangzhou Key Laboratory of Crop Gene Editing, Innovative Center of Molecular Genetics and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Guangzhou University, Guangzhou 510006, China
Cunyi Yang
Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Plant Molecular Breeding, Guangdong Subcenter of National Center for Soybean Improvement, College of Agriculture, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou 510642, China
Histone modifications, such as methylation and demethylation, have crucial roles in regulating chromatin structure and gene expression. Lysine-specific histone demethylases (LSDs) belong to the amine oxidase family, which is an important family of histone lysine demethylases (KDMs), and functions in maintaining homeostasis of histone methylation. Here, we identified six LSD-like (LDL) genes from the important leguminous soybean. Phylogenetic analyses divided the six GmLDLs into four clusters with two highly conserved SWRIM and amine oxidase domains. Indeed, demethylase activity assay using recombinant GmLDL proteins in vitro demonstrated that GmLDLs have demethylase activity toward mono- and dimethylated Lys4 but not trimethylated histone 3, similar to their orthologs previously reported in animals. Using real-time PCR experiments in combination with public transcriptome data, we found that these six GmLDL genes exhibit comparable expressions in multiple tissues or in response to different abiotic stresses. Moreover, our genetic variation investigation of GmLDL genes among 761 resequenced soybean accessions indicates that GmLDLs are well conserved during soybean domestication and improvement. Taken together, these findings demonstrate that GmFLD, GmLDL1a, and GmLDL1b are bona fide H3K4 demethylases towards H4K4me1/2 and GmLDLs exist in various members with likely conserved and divergent roles in soybeans.
