Genome-wide analysis of class III peroxidase gene family in Glycine max and functional roles in stress response

Soybeans are one of the world's most widely grown crops, renowned for their 35-40% plant protein content. However, climate change-induced high temperature and humidity stress can lead to irreversible seed deterioration. It reduced germination and field emergence rates, and diminished nutritional value, ultimately lowering market value. Class III peroxidases (PODs) are plant-specific enzymes that play crucial roles in growth, development, and environmental stress response. This research investigates the response mechanism of the soybean GmPOD gene to high temperature and humidity stress. We identified GmPOD gene family members and predicted their chromosomal positions, evolutionary relationships, protein interaction networks, promoter cis-regulatory elements, and tissue-specific expression patterns using soybean genome data. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis revealed the expression patterns of 180 relatively conserved GmPOD members, which are distributed across twenty chromosomes in six subfamilies. The promoter region of GmPOD contains cis-acting elements linked to growth, hormone regulation, and stress response, regulating the expression of related genes. This study offers insights into the evolution of the GmPOD gene family and establishes a foundation for exploring plant GmPOD gene functions.