Genome-Wide Analysis of the Gene Family Supports Gene Expansion through Whole-Genome Duplication in Soybean ().

The () gene family has been associated with the regulation of cell wall expansion and cellulose deposition. mutants result in reduced levels and disorganized deposition of cellulose causing defects in the cell wall and inhibiting plant development. In this study, we report the identification of 24 genes () in the soybean genome. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that the proteins are divided into two groups, which differ by about 170 amino acids in the N-terminal region. The genes were heterogeneously distributed in 14 of the 20 soybean chromosomes. This study showed that segmental duplication has contributed significantly to the expansion of the family in soybean during all -specific whole-genome duplication events. The expression profile revealed that the expression of the paralogous genes is highly variable between organs and tissues of the plant. Only 20% of the paralogous gene pairs showed similar expression patterns. The high expression levels of some suggest they are likely essential for regulating cell expansion during the whole soybean life cycle. Our comprehensive overview of the gene family in soybean provides useful information for further understanding the evolution and diversification of genes in soybean.