| Summary: | The VILLIN (VLN) protein is an important regulator of the actin cytoskeleton, which orchestrates many developmental processes and participates in various biotic and abiotic responses in plants. Although the <i>VLN</i> gene family and their potential functions have been analyzed in several plants, knowledge of <i>VLN</i> genes in soybeans and legumes remains rather limited. In this study, a total of 35 VLNs were characterized from soybean and five related legumes. Combining with the VLN sequences from other nine land plants, we categorized the <i>VLN</i> gene family into three groups according to phylogenetic relationships. Further detailed analysis of the soybean VLNs indicated that the ten <i>GmVLNs</i> were distributed on 10 of the 20 chromosomes, and their gene structures and protein motifs showed high group specificities. The expression pattern analysis suggested that most <i>GmVLNs</i> are widely expressed in various tissues, but three members have a very high level in seeds. Moreover, we observed that the cis−elements enriched in the promoters of <i>GmVLNs</i> are mainly related to abiotic stresses, hormone signals, and developmental processes. The largest number of cis−elements were associated with light responses, and two <i>GmVLNs</i>, <i>GmVLN5a</i>, and <i>GmVLN5b</i> were significantly increased under the long light condition. This study not only provides some basic information about the <i>VLN</i> gene family but also provides a good reference for further characterizing the diverse functions of <i>VLN</i> genes in soybeans.
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