Balancing Growth and Defense: miRNA-Mediated Regulation of Phosphorus Metabolism and Pathogen Resistance in Soybean Under Variable Light Conditions

Balancing Growth and Defense: miRNA-Mediated Regulation of Phosphorus Metabolism and Pathogen Resistance in Soybean Under Variable Light Conditions | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Balancing Growth and Defense: miRNA-Mediated Regulation of Phosphorus Metabolism and Pathogen Resistance in Soybean Under Variable Light Conditions Jing Shang, Xinmiao Yang, Siyu Li, Jidan Hu, Lingfang Du, Kai Li, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6577414/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract This study reveals the molecular mechanisms by which soybeans dynamically balance phosphorus uptake and disease resistance through microRNAs. Under normal light conditions, during the early stages of SMV infection (3 dpi), miR397a promotes lignin synthesis by inhibiting laccase activity, thereby increasing disease resistance. In contrast, shading upregulated miR397a expression, weakening lignin-mediated defense. Phosphorus uptake is environmentally regulated: shading significantly increases the root phosphorus content, whereas viral infection only enhances early phosphorus absorption under normal light conditions. MiR399j negatively regulates the GmPHT1-4 gene, inhibiting phosphorus uptake under normal light at 3 dpi, with its expression decreasing by 10 dpi, leading to reduced phosphorus acquisition. Genetic analysis confirmed a positive correlation between defense activation and root phosphorus accumulation, indicating that under normal light, soybean plants prioritize coordinating early defense with phosphorus uptake, whereas shading promotes phosphorus accumulation to support growth. The hormone signaling network shows spatiotemporal-specific regulation, activating defense early under normal light and inhibiting related pathways under shading. This research elucidates the plasticity of resource allocation in soybeans under biotic and abiotic stresses, providing a theoretical basis for breeding resilient high-yield varieties. These findings are important for guiding the optimization of crop adaptability in intercropping systems. Soybean mosaic virus miRNA phosphorus absorption defense Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Supplementary Files SupplementaryMaterial.docx Cite Share Download PDF Status: Posted Version 1 posted You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. 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Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-6577414","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":true,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":469522610,"identity":"c6ff02e5-61e3-4ec1-9ab8-2caf9b916bff","order_by":0,"name":"Jing 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Under normal light conditions, during the early stages of SMV infection (3 dpi), miR397a promotes lignin synthesis by inhibiting laccase activity, thereby increasing disease resistance. In contrast, shading upregulated miR397a expression, weakening lignin-mediated defense. Phosphorus uptake is environmentally regulated: shading significantly increases the root phosphorus content, whereas viral infection only enhances early phosphorus absorption under normal light conditions. MiR399j negatively regulates the GmPHT1-4 gene, inhibiting phosphorus uptake under normal light at 3 dpi, with its expression decreasing by 10 dpi, leading to reduced phosphorus acquisition. Genetic analysis confirmed a positive correlation between defense activation and root phosphorus accumulation, indicating that under normal light, soybean plants prioritize coordinating early defense with phosphorus uptake, whereas shading promotes phosphorus accumulation to support growth. The hormone signaling network shows spatiotemporal-specific regulation, activating defense early under normal light and inhibiting related pathways under shading. This research elucidates the plasticity of resource allocation in soybeans under biotic and abiotic stresses, providing a theoretical basis for breeding resilient high-yield varieties. 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