DNA Polymorphism of the Drought Tolerance Gene GmDREB2 of Indonesian local Varieties Soybean (Glycine max L. Merr).

The drought-tolerant gene GmDREB2 is categorized as a regulatory gene which has a role in the formation of drought responsive element binding transcription factors. This study analyzed GmDREB2 sequence variability of some drought-tolerant and susceptible Indonesian local varieties using the Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR)-sequencing method. PCR analysis using GmDREB2 primers resulted in a 415 bp PCR product. The sequence of the PCR product showed 97-87% homology to the GmDREB2 of soybean species in the NCBI database. Alignment analysis of the sequence of all varieties used in this experiment found 14 mutation sites, and each variety has a different number of mutation sites. Although the mutation caused alteration of amino acid, it did not change the level of drought tolerance. This indicates that GmDREB2 is not the only gene that influences the drought tolerance. Keyword: Soybean, drought stress, GmDREB2, mutation site