Nuclear transport factor GmNTF2B-1 enhances soybean drought tolerance by interacting with oxidoreductase GmOXR17 to reduce reactive oxygen species content

Drought is a critical abiotic stressor that modulates soybean yield. Drought stress drastically enhances reactive oxygen species (ROS) formation, and maintaining ROS content above a cytostatic level but below a cytotoxic level is essential for normal biology processes in plants. At present, most of the known ROS-scavenging systems are in the cytoplasm, and the mechanism of ROS regulation in the nucleus remains unclear. GmNTF2B-1 is a member of the IV subgroup in the nucleus transporter family. Its expression is localized to the roots and is stimulated by drought stress. In this study, the overexpression of GmNTF2B-1 was found to improve the drought tolerance of transgenic soybean by influencing the ROS content in plants. An oxidoreductase, GmOXR17, was identified to interact with GmNTF2B-1 in the nucleus through the yeast two-hybrid, coimmunoprecipitation and bimolecular fluorescence complementation assays. The drought tolerance of GmOXR17 transgenic soybean was similar to that of GmNTF2B-1. GmNTF2B-1 was expressed in both cytoplasm and nucleus, and GmOXR17 transferred from the cytoplasm to the nucleus under drought stress. The overexpression of GmNTF2B-1 enhanced the nuclear entry of GmOXR17, and the overexpression of GmNTF2B-1 or GmOXR17 could decrease the H2O2 content and oxidation level in the nucleus. In conclusion, the interaction between GmNTF2B-1 and GmOXR17 may enhance the nuclear entry of GmOXR17, thereby enhancing nuclear ROS scavenging to improve the drought resistance of soybean.

Automated summary

Drought stress increases ROS formation in plants, affecting soybean yield. Overexpression of GmNTF2B-1 improves drought tolerance by regulating ROS content, while the interaction between GmNTF2B-1 and GmOXR17 enhances nuclear ROS scavenging and drought resistance in soybeans.