Evolution and Expression Divergence of the CYP78A Subfamily Genes in Soybean.

Gene expression divergence is an important evolutionary driving force for the retention of duplicate genes. In this study, we identified three subfamily genes in soybean, , and , which experienced different duplication events. was mainly expressed in leaf tissue and the vegetative phase, whereas was mainly expressed in floral tissue and seed, i.e., the reproductive phase. Expression of could be detected in all the tissues and phases mentioned above. The expression levels of and in different soybean cultivars showed positive correlations with leaf size and 100-seed weight, respectively. The population genetics analysis indicated that the three genes had experienced different selective pressures during domestication and improved breeding of soybean. Deciphering the function of this subfamily of genes may well prove useful to breeders for improving soybean's agronomic traits.