Background/Objectives: Soybean (Glycine max) productivity is increasingly constrained by soil salinity. WIP transcription factors, a subfamily of C2H2-type zinc finger proteins, regulate cell division, differentiation, and tissue patterning in several plant species, but this gene family had not previously been systematically characterized in soybean or any other major legume crop. This study aimed to identify and characterize the GmWIP gene family genome-wide and evaluate its potential involvement in the soybean salt-stress response. Methods: Genome-wide identification of GmWIP genes was performed using sequence similarity and domain-based searches against the Wm82.gnm4.ann1 reference genome, followed by characterization of physicochemical properties, chromosomal distribution, phylogenetic relationships, gene duplication, conserved motifs, gene structure, and promoter cis-acting elements. Tissue-specific expression was examined using transcriptome data, and GmWIP responses to salt stress were profiled by RT-qPCR in roots, stems, and leaves of a salt-tolerant cultivar (HN531) and a salt-sensitive cultivar (HN563), alongside physiological measurements of oxidative stress and osmotic adjustment. Results: Thirty GmWIP genes were identified, with molecular weights from 26.90 to 57.52 kDa, distributed unevenly across 15 soybean chromosomes, with chromosomes 11, 12, and 13 forming a major hotspot (53.3% of the family). Duplication analysis detected 54 reconciled segmental duplicate gene pairs, all exhibiting Ka/Ks values < 1 (ranging from 0.0351 to 0.4471; mean 0.214), consistent with purifying selection acting on this gene set. GmWIP promoters were enriched for ABRE, MBS, and MeJA cis-acting elements. RT-qPCR showed genotype- and tissue-dependent differential expression under salt stress (e.g., up to 14.9-fold induction of GmWIP22 in HN531 stems), paralleled by superior proline accumulation (+45%), soluble sugars, and CAT activity (+38%) alongside reduced MDA accumulation in the tolerant cultivar. Conclusions: The GmWIP gene family has expanded substantially in soybean relative to previously characterized species and shows genotype-dependent transcriptional responses to salt stress, suggesting that specific GmWIP members are candidate regulators of salt tolerance and warrant further functional investigation.

Background/Objectives: Proteins containing the domain of unknown function 966 (DUF966) have been implicated in plant development and environmental responses, but the diversity of the soybean DUF966 gene family and its tissue-specific transcript abundance under prolonged drought remain insufficiently characterized. This study aimed to characterize the GmDUF966 gene family and examine transcript abundance of its members after prolonged drought treatment. Methods: Comparative genomic, phylogenetic, conserved motif, gene structure, and promoter cis-element analyses were conducted to characterize the GmDUF966 family. Public transcriptomic datasets were examined to assess tissue-specific expression patterns. Transcript abundance after 15 d of drought treatment was evaluated in roots and leaves of five soybean cultivars, alongside physiological measurements of lipid peroxidation, proline accumulation, antioxidant enzyme activities, and water-soluble protein content. Results: Twelve GmDUF966 genes were identified across eight soybean chromosomes and classified into three phylogenetic groups. Their predicted proteins ranged from 267 to 538 amino acids and exhibited hydrophobic characteristics. Conserved motifs and gene structures generally corresponded to phylogenetic relationships, while promoter analyses revealed putative hormone- and stress-responsive cis-elements. Under drought treatment, root expression of GmDUF966-7 increased in all five cultivars. GmDUF966-9 showed pronounced root expression increases in V4 and V5, with log₂ fold changes of 8.46 and 7.69, respectively. Leaf expression was predominantly reduced, while physiological responses varied across cultivars and tissues. Conclusions: Soybean GmDUF966 genes exhibit conserved structural features and tissue-dependent drought-associated expression patterns. GmDUF966-7 and GmDUF966-9 showed the clearest root transcript differences after prolonged drought and may merit functional testing. Further experimental validation is required to establish their roles in drought tolerance.