The GmbHLH13-GmCHS7 module positively regulates isoflavones accumulation in soybean (Glycine max. L)

Tianyi Liu; Fan Yan; Yajing Liu; Zibo Xu; Tianliang Wang; Monan Sun; Yongqiang Zhang; Jingwen Li; Le Wang; Youcheng Zhu; Qingyu Wang; Ying Wang

doi:10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110162

The GmbHLH13-GmCHS7 module positively regulates isoflavones accumulation in soybean (Glycine max. L)

Plant Physiol Biochem. 2025 Jun 16:227:110162. doi: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110162. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Tianyi Liu¹, Fan Yan¹, Yajing Liu¹, Zibo Xu¹, Tianliang Wang², Monan Sun¹, Yongqiang Zhang¹, Jingwen Li¹, Le Wang¹, Youcheng Zhu³, Qingyu Wang⁴, Ying Wang⁵

Affiliations

¹ College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China.
² College of Landscape Architecture, Changchun University, Changchun, 130062, China.
³ College of Biology and Food Engineering, Fuyang Normal University, Fuyang, 236041, China.
⁴ College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China. Electronic address: qywang@jlu.edu.cn.
⁵ College of Plant Science, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China. Electronic address: wangying2009@jlu.edu.cn.

PMID: 40580790
DOI: 10.1016/j.plaphy.2025.110162

Abstract

Isoflavonoids are widely regarded as phytoalexins and plant estrogens, with applications in plant defense and human healthcare. However, the mechanism of soy isoflavone synthesis remains unclear. In this study, we identified a gene from Glycine max, designated as basic helix-loop-helix 13 (GmbHLH13), which is a member of the bHLH transcription factor family. Overexpression of GmbHLH13 significantly enhanced the accumulation of isoflavonoids in soybean seeds. A combined analysis of the transcriptome and metabolome showed that GmbHLH13 enhanced the expression of multiple genes in the phenylpropanoid metabolism pathway, leading to increased production of downstream metabolites. We established that GmbHLH13 interacted with GmMYB12B2 and GmWD40-7 to form a MYB-bHLH-WD40 (MBW) complex that binded directly to the promoter region of GmCHS7, further increasing GmCHS7 expression. In addition, GmbHLH13 alone or complexed with GmMYB12B2 or GmWD40-7, positively regulated GmCHS7 expression, however, the effect was lower than that of the MBW complex. The findings of this study provide a valuable genetic breeding resource and gene for improving soybean varieties with high isoflavone content.

Keywords: GmbHLH13; Isoflavones; Metabolome; Soybean; Transcriptome.