Soybean is one of the most important food crops in the world. However, with the environmental change in recent years, many environmental factors like drought, salinity, heavy metal, and disease seriously affected the growth and development of soybean, causing substantial economic losses. In this study, we screened a bZIP transcription factor gene, GmbZIP152, which is significantly induced by Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (S. sclerotiorum), phytohormones, salt-, drought-, and heavy metal stresses in soybean. We found that overexpression of GmbZIP152 in Arabidopsis (OE-GmbZIP152) enhances the resistance to S. sclerotiorum and the tolerance of salt, drought, and heavy metal stresses compared to wild-type (WT). The antioxidant enzyme related genes (including AtCAT1, AtSOD, and AtPOD1) and their enzyme activities are induced by S. sclerotiorum, salt, drought, and heavy metal stress in OE-GmbZIP152 compared to WT. Furthermore, we also found that the expression level of biotic- and abiotic-related marker genes (AtLOX6, AtACS6, AtERF1, and AtABI2, etc.) were increased in OE-GmbZIP152 compared to WT under S. sclerotiorum and abiotic stresses. Moreover, we performed a Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay and found that GmbZIP152 could directly bind to promoters of ABA-, JA-, ETH-, and SA-induced biotic- and abiotic-related genes in soybean. Altogether, GmbZIP152 plays an essential role in soybean response to biotic and abiotic stresses.

The female gametophyte is central to the reproductive success of flowering plants, with its development being tightly controlled by an intricate network of genes and signaling pathways. A deeper understanding of these regulatory mechanisms is essential for uncovering the complexities of plant growth and development. Recent studies have shed light on various aspects of female gametophyte development, highlighting the role of specific gene and signaling networks. Among these, the ERECTA family of leucine-rich repeat receptor-like kinase (RLK) in Arabidopsis thaliana has emerged as a key player, influencing multiple biological processes, particularly those governing reproductive development of the female gametophyte. This review focuses on the significant progress made in understanding the ERECTA family’s involvement in germline cell development, emphasizing its functional roles and signaling mechanisms in female gametophyte development.

The ubiquitin–proteasome system (UPS) is a highly conserved protein degradation pathway in eukaryotic cells. Through precisely controlled proteolysis of key regulatory proteins, the UPS plays a particularly critical role in plant sexual reproduction, where precise spatiotemporal regulation is essential. The UPS governs multiple aspects of plant sexual reproduction, including male and female gametophyte development, pollen–pistil interactions, double fertilization, and post-fertilization embryogenesis and endosperm development. Among UPS components, E3 ubiquitin ligases play a central role by mediating the spatiotemporal degradation of key proteins, while E2 conjugating enzymes and deubiquitinating enzymes also make essential contributions. Through cross-species and cross-stage comparisons, we find that the UPS exhibits conserved regulatory logic—including cell-cycle gating, spatial control of protein accumulation, and signal integration—while also having evolved lineage-specific functional diversification. In this review, we systematically synthesize UPS functions across the reproductive cycle and highlight persistent knowledge gaps, aiming to provide an integrated framework and a reference for future studies investigating the regulatory roles of the UPS in plant sexual reproduction.