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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2026

Strigolactones constrain rice drought acclimation by suppressing ROS scavenging through the D53-OsWRKY31-ZFP36 module.

Strigolactones (SLs) are a class of plant hormones essential for tiller development and yield under diverse environmental conditions. Drought is a major limiting factor for rice yields. Although SLs contribute to drought resistance, mechanisms and practical applications of SL pathway in drought acclimation of rice remain poorly understood. Our study shows that short-term dehydration represses SL biosynthesis in rice roots. Genetic assays indicate that disruption of SL biosynthesis or signaling elevates rice drought resistance, whereas SL signaling activation or supplementation with the SL analog GR244DO impairs drought resistance. SLs negatively regulate drought acclimation by promoting degradation of the repressor protein DWARF53 (D53). D53 interacts with the transcription factor OsWRKY31 via its N-terminal domain and suppresses the protein level of OsWRKY31, which binds to and represses transcription of the ZFP36 promoter. ZFP36 encodes a zinc-finger transcription factor that promotes H2O2 scavenging to sustain reactive oxygen species (ROS) homeostasis during drought stress. Notably, the drought-resistant upland rice variety IRAT109 exhibits lower SL levels in root exudates than the lowland rice variety Nipponbare (NP). Genome editing of key components in SL pathway enhances drought resistance in NP, Huazhan (HZ), and IRAT109. The agronomic potential of tuning SL biosynthesis is further supported by the elite D17/HTD1 allele, which weakens SL biosynthesis and improves drought resistance and grain yield in Nekken 2 (NK2) under field conditions. These findings uncover a key mechanism underlying SL-repressed drought acclimation in rice and provide an effective strategy to improve drought resistance in diverse rice varieties amid ongoing climate change.

D53↗

PubMed2025

Genome-wide identification and analysis of paclobutrazol-resistance gene family in cotton and the positive role of GhPRE3 in salt stress and drought stress resistance.

Compared with other transcription factors, much less studies have been performed on paclobutrazol-resistance (PRE), a subgroup of the extensive bHLH transcription factor gene family, and the research in cotton was also limited. By utilizing the PRE genes and their conserved domains identified in Arabidopsis, a total of 23, 22, 11, and 12 PRE genes were identified from two major cultivated cotton species and their two ancestors, respectively. The cotton PRE gene family was categorized into three subgroups based on evolutionary tree analysis. Motif and intron analyses indicated that the PRE gene has remained highly conserved throughout evolution. Collinearity analysis indicated that gene duplication, particularly through fragment replication, has significantly contributed to the expansion of the cotton PRE family. An exploration of the conserved elements within the PRE gene family uncovered numerous elements associated with plant stress resistance. Additionally, cotton transcriptome and qRT-PCR analysis showed that PRE genes were associated with a variety of abiotic stresses, including salt, drought, and cold treatments. Subcellular localization experiments indicated that the GhPRE3 gene is associated with membrane proteins. Finally, we selected the GhPRE3 gene for a VIGS experiment, which revealed that under salt stress and drought stress conditions, the wilting of leaves in the GhPRE3-silenced plants was significantly more severe than that observed in the control group, with T-AOC levels notably lower and MDA levels significantly higher. Overexpression of GhPRE3 enhanced seed germination and root development in transgenic Arabidopsis thaliana under salt stress and drought stresses. This suggests that GhPRE3 plays a positive regulatory role in cotton tolerance to salt and drought stressed, providing a reference for molecular genetic breeding of cotton with salt and drought tolerance.

Gossypium↗

PubMed2026

Transcriptome Analysis Reveals Key Drought-Stress-Responsive Genes in Two Bermudagrass Genotypes.

Drought inhibits grass development and survival. However, molecular-based studies on drought tolerance mechanisms in bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) remain scarce. Therefore, a drought-resistant bermudagrass (Tianshui) and a drought-sensitive (Zhengzhou) genotype were selected and subjected to 28 days of 50% drought stress. Leaves were sampled for RNA sequencing. Under drought stress, 2410 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were discovered in which 1214 were upregulated (tolerant vs. sensitive) and 1196 downregulated. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) indicated that these specific DEGs are notably present in hormonal signal transduction pathways, flavonoids biogenesis, carbohydrate metabolic processes, abscisic acid-mediated pathways, MAPK signaling, and gluconeogenesis. Additionally, the plant hormone signal transduction pathway is predominantly linked to abscisic acid signal transduction, and many other plant hormones were also drought-responsive. The study specifically targeted genes associated with the antioxidant enzyme system, with a particular emphasis on responsive TFs such as MYB, bHLH, bZIP, GRAS, and WRKY. This study establishes the theoretical framework and identifies gene sources for the genetic enhancement and breeding of bermudagrass in the future.

Cynodon↗

PubMed2025

Multi-Omics insights into OsZFP252-OsGA20ox5 mediated drought tolerance in rice through stomatal and vascular regulation.

Rice growth is highly dependent on water availability, and drought stress significantly impacts its entire life cycle. However, previous studies lack systematic investigations into drought-responsive candidate genes across the full life cycle of rice. This study integrates transcriptomic and phenotypic data from two rice lines, IR64 (drought-sensitive) and DK151 (drought-tolerant), under varied environmental conditions at distinct growth stages. Using k-means clustering, 13 369 genes were categorized into 17 distinct expression patterns, revealing drought-responsive genes specifically upregulated or downregulated under drought stress. Weighted co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) further identified four gene modules strongly correlated with drought-related phenotypes, co-localizing 2859 drought-responsive genes through both approaches. Proteomics and metabolomics were supplemented at the booting stage, where phenotypic and transcriptomic differences under drought were most pronounced. Integrated omics results demonstrate gibberellin (GA) and abscisic acid (ABA) pathways play a key role during drought tolerance in rice, and 79 high-confidence drought-resistant candidate genes were prioritized from the 2859 drought-responsive genes. Among these, Gibberellin 20-oxidase 5 (OsGA20ox5) was identified as a key negative regulator of drought tolerance. Furthermore, the transcription factor zinc finger protein 252 (OsZFP252) directly binds to the OsGA20ox5 promoter, repressing its expression and enhancing ABA biosynthesis, thereby improving drought tolerance by increasing stomatal closure and expanding vascular bundle water transport capacity. Notably, the drought-tolerant haplotype 2-4 (Hap2-4) of OsGA20ox5 provides valuable insights for drought-resistant breeding.

Oryza↗

PubMed2026

Genomic and genetic dissection underlying seedling drought resilience in oats.

Drought threatens global crop yields, and common oat, a vital nutritional source for food and feed, is particularly constrained in the semi‑arid regions where it is widely cultivated. Here, we report two high-quality genome assemblies for drought-resilient (Borris37) and drought-sensitive (XymC06) oat accessions with distinct seedling survival rates and genome sizes of 10.92 Gb and 10.96 Gb, and construct comprehensive landscapes of insertion‑deletions (InDels) and structural variants (SVs). Integrating population-level genomic, transcriptomic and phenotypic (seedling survival rate), we demonstrate that InDels and SVs underpin divergent drought resilience and identify 52 candidate genes associated with drought resistance whose expression is significantly modulated by these variants. Borris37 accumulates 36 favorable alleles of these genes. An InDel in the AsNF-YB3 promoter enhances binding to AsARF1, upregulating AsNF‑YB3 under drought, and overexpression of AsNF‑YB3 reduces ROS accumulation. Our findings provide resources and targets for drought‑resistance breeding in oat, thereby supporting global food security.

Drought Resistance↗

PubMed2026

Clone and characterization of a cytochrome P450 gene for drought tolerance in rice.

BACKGROUND: Drought is a major abiotic stress limiting rice production worldwide. Identifying genes that enhance drought tolerance is essential for breeding resilient varieties. RESULTS: In this study, we report the map-based cloning and functional characterization of DT1, a novel cytochrome P450 gene conferring drought tolerance in rice. Using near isogenic lines (NILs) derived from a cross between Xiang743 and Katy, we delimited DT1 into a 115 kb interval on chromosome 3, where contains 18 open read frames (ORFs). Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) analysis identified Os03g55250 as the candidate gene. Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats-associated nuclease 9 (CRISPR/Cas9) knockout mutants of Os03g55250 exhibited increased drought sensitivity, while overexpression lines showed enhanced drought tolerance, confirming that Os03g55250 was the target gene and positively regulates drought resistance. DT1 was mainly expressed in stems, leaves, and leaf sheaths, and the DT1 protein localized in the endoplasmic reticulum. Haplotype analysis identified Hap1 as a favorable allele in japonica rice. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide a promising genetic resource for breeding drought-resistant rice varieties and offers new insights into the role of P450 genes in abiotic stress adaptation.

Oryza↗

PubMed2025

WRKY14-DPB Module Enhances Drought Tolerance by Activating the Expression of UGT84B1 Involved in Hydrolyzable Tannin Biosynthesis.

Drought stress severely limits the growth and development of trees. Tannins, which serve as vital secondary metabolites in plant roots, help mitigate drought stress. The Lauraceae family, which holds major economic and ecological value, faces substantial developmental challenges due to its sensitivity to drought conditions. Despite this, research on the regulatory mechanisms governing tannin-specific accumulation under drought stress remains limited. In this study, we aim to explore how WRKY14 interacts with DPB to regulate the metabolism of hydrolyzable tannin (HT) via the key enzyme UGT84B1, thereby enhancing drought tolerance in Litsea cubeba, a main species within the Lauraceae family. The WRKY-DPB-UGT84B1 module was specifically expressed in roots in response to drought stress. LcUGT84B1 was found to generate 1-O-Galloyl-β-d-glucose in vitro and in overexpressing L. cubeba. Moreover, molecular biology and transformation experiments demonstrated that LcWRKY14 and LcDPB formed a complex that directly bound to the LcUGT84B1 promoter, activating its expression and thereby facilitating HT synthesis. Co-overexpression of LcWRKY14 and LcDPB significantly enhanced drought tolerance by increasing HT accumulation. These findings provide new insights into the regulatory mechanisms of the WRKY-DPB-UGT84B1 module in promoting drought tolerance and offer a potential breeding strategy for developing drought-resistant varieties.

Drought Resistance↗

PubMed2026

Identification of the R2R3-MYB gene family in wild jujube (Ziziphus jujuba var. spinosa) and analysis of its expression under drought stress.

BACKGROUND: R2R3-MYB gene family serves as a pivotal regulatory factor in plant growth, development, and responses to environmental stresses. To investigate its function in the drought stress response of wild jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill. var. spinosa), a typical eco-economic forest species, this study performed genome-wide identification and relevant analyses of R2R3-MYB genes. RESULTS: A total of 91 R2R3-MYB genes (designated as ZjMYB1 to ZjMYB91) were identified, which were unevenly distributed across 12 chromosomes. These genes mainly encode hydrophilic and unstable proteins, 97.8% of which are localized in the nucleus. Phylogenetic analysis classified these genes into 25 clades, showing evolutionary conservation and species-specific divergence with the R2R3-MYB protein family. The expansion of the ZjMYB family is mainly characterized by segmental duplication, and all duplicated gene pairs have undergone purifying selection. ZjMYBs are widely involved in plant growth and development as well as abiotic stress responses, with the highest expression level particularly in leaf tissues; a total of 13 genes were specifically annotated as water deficit response-related genes in drought stress and abscisic acid (ABA) signaling pathways. Integrating the above analyses together with transcriptome data and qRT-PCR validation results revealed that ZjMYB5, ZjMYB53, ZjMYB57 and ZjMYB85 function as core drought-responsive genes, which display both tissue-specific and time-dependent expression patterns under drought stress. CONCLUSIONS: This study systematically elucidated the functional characteristics and regulatory network of the R2R3-MYB gene family in wild jujube, providing critical genetic resources and a theoretical basis for dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying drought tolerance in wild jujube and breeding drought-resistant cultivars.

Ziziphus↗

PubMed2026

Dissecting the genetic basis underlying drought tolerance at different development stages in soybean.

INTRODUCTION: Soybean is an indispensable crop supplying protein and oil for humans and animals, and playing an essential role in global food security. Drought represses soybean seed germination, reducing biomass accumulation and even inhibiting yield. METHODS: In order to dissect the genetic components underlying soybean drought tolerance during different development stage, a natural population containing 140 accessions was employed to evaluate seven drought tolerance-related traits under water-welled and drought stress conditions. Subsequently, genome-wide association study (GWAS) was conducted based on 150K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) markers of "Zhongdouxin-1". And the drought tolerance coefficient of seven different traits were analyzed with seven GWAS models. RESULTS: A total of 1807 significant SNPs were detected across 20 chromosome, including 569 SNPs for germination stage, and 1242 SNPs for seedling stage. Of 569 SNPs identified in germination stage, 354 SNPs on chromosomes 2, 7, 13, 14, and 17 accounting for 62.21%. Among 1242 SNPs found in seedling stage, 869 SNPs on chromosomes 11, 14, 15, 17 and 18 accounting for 69.97%. Moreover, among 1807 significant SNPs, 163 SNPs exhibited pleiotropic effects, of which 23 were located in exon, 21 in intron, 12 in 5'UTR or 3'UTR and 11 in upstream or downstream. Furthermore, 249 stable SNPs were detected by more than four GWAS models. According to these stable SNPs, RNA expression levels and gene annotations, four causal genes (Glyma.02G080200, Glyma.11G056200, Glyma.12G188900, and Glyma.18G110200) conferring soybean drought tolerance were detected, which participated in ethylene stimulus response, water deprivation response, and proteolysis. DISCUSSION: Collectively, 249 stable SNPs, 163 pleiotropic SNPs and four candidate genes identified in present study provided promising molecular resources and reliable foundation for drought resistance improvement and marker-assisted selective breeding in soybean.

GWAS↗

PubMed2025

Slmsh1-induced heritable enhancement of traits for tomato breeding improvement.

Vegetable grafting is a horticultural technique employed to develop specialized plant varieties by effectively enhancing resistance to both biotic and abiotic stresses, as well as improving fruit quality and yield. However, these advantageous traits are generally non-heritable. The MSH1 gene induced heritable enhancement-through-grafting (HEG) effect on growth vigor, demonstrating promising application potential. In this study, we employed the msh1 mutant tomato as a rootstock to induce heritable superior traits and combined this approach with hybridization techniques to enhance tomato cultivars. Three Slmsh1 mutants were generated using CRISPR/Cas9 which exhibited a dwarf phenotype with whitened spots. By grafting several distinct inbred lines onto Slmsh1, we observed significant HEG, drought stress tolerance, and fruit quality. Under drought conditions, Slmsh1-grafted tomato seedlings exhibited increased biomass and enhanced drought tolerance through the regulation of antioxidant enzyme activities. Differential expression and methylation analyses of the graft progeny revealed that these heritable enhanced traits (HETs) are likely attributable to epigenetic modifications in the expression of ROS-scavenging- and hormone-related genes. Furthermore, to explore practical applications, we crossed inbred lines with HETs and evaluated the growth, yield, and fruit quality of the resulting hybrid combinations. The results indicated that these hybrid combinations improved fruit yield and quality, enhancing the total soluble solids, soluble sugar, and soluble protein content. These findings suggest that Slmsh1-grafted progenies enhanced plant biomass and drought resistance, while their hybrid combinations positively influenced root growth, yield, and fruit quality, providing new insights into the synergistic integration of genome editing and conventional breeding.

Solanum lycopersicum↗

PubMed2026

Genome-wide identification of the carotenoid cleavage dioxygenase gene family in wheat and analysis of the TaDREB-7A-TaNCED9a regulatory module conferring drought tolerance.

Carotenoid cleavage dioxygenases (CCDs) play critical roles in plant growth, development, and abiotic stress responses, yet their genome-wide identification and drought response mechanisms remain unexplored in wheat. In this study, 34 TaCCD genes were identified in wheat, distributed across 15 chromosomes and phylogenetically classified into five subfamilies. Gene structure analysis indicated that members within each subfamily shared conserved motifs and similar intron-exon arrangements. Cis-regulatory element analysis suggested the potential roles of these genes in stress adaptation, developmental processes, and hormone signaling. Moreover, prediction of tertiary structures and protein-protein interactions revealed unique structural features and potential interacting partners of the TaCCD proteins. In addition, TaNCED9a, a member of the TaCCD family, showed the highest transcript level in wheat roots among all detected TaCCD genes and was significantly induced by drought stress. Subcellular localization assay indicated that TaNCED9a was located in chloroplasts. Downregulation of TaNCED9a expression led to reduced drought resistance in wheat, accompanied by an accumulation of reactive oxygen species and a decrease in endogenous abscisic acid levels. Using yeast one-hybrid, dual-luciferase, and tobacco transient co-expression assays, the upstream regulatory factor TaDREB-7A was identified, which can regulate the expression of TaNCED9a. Additionally, a KASP molecular marker was developed to identify the superior haplotype TaNCED9a-HapI, which exhibited a significantly higher germination rate compared to TaNCED9a-HapII under drought conditions, and was predominant in wheat. These results offer valuable insights into the TaCCD gene family's response mechanisms to drought stress in wheat, simultaneously identifying promising genetic resources for enhancing drought tolerance through molecular breeding.

CCD↗

PubMed2026

Multi-season analysis reveals hundreds of drought-responsive genes in sorghum.

Persistent drought affects global crop production and is becoming more severe in many parts of the world in recent decades. Deciphering how plants respond to drought will facilitate the development of flexible mitigation strategies. Sorghum bicolor L. Moench (sorghum), a major cereal crop and an emerging bioenergy crop, exhibits remarkable resilience to drought. To better understand the molecular traits that underlie sorghum's remarkable drought tolerance, we undertook a large-scale sorghum gene expression profiling effort, totaling nearly 1500 transcriptome profiles, across a 3-year field study with replicated plots in California's Central Valley. This study included time-resolved gene expression data from roots and leaves of two sorghum genotypes, BTx642 and RTx430, with different pre-flowering and post-flowering drought-tolerance adaptations under control and drought conditions. Quantification of genotype-specific drought tolerance effects was enabled by de novo sequencing, assembly, and annotation of both BTx642 and RTx430 genomes. These reference-quality genomes were used to construct a pangene set for characterizing conserved and genotype-specific expression. By integrating time-resolved transcriptomic responses to drought in the field across three consecutive years, we identified a set of 726 drought-responsive genes that responded similarly in all 3 years of our field study. Functional enrichment analysis identified abiotic stress, secondary cell wall-related processes and metabolism as particularly affected under both types of drought stress. We also found that some glyoxylate cycle pathway genes, including malate synthase and isocitrate lyase, are differentially regulated particularly during post-flowering drought stress, implicating this pathway as potentially important for drought responsiveness. This expansive dataset represents a unique resource for sorghum and drought research communities and provides a methodological framework for the integration of multi-faceted time-resolved transcriptomic datasets.

Sorghum↗

PubMed2026

Functional characterization of the MdFLZ2 gene in drought and salt stress tolerance in apple.

Drought and salt stress are significant environmental limitations that severely constrain plant growth and productivity, therefore, enhancing stress tolerance is a key goal in crop improvement. The plant-specific FCS-like zinc finger (FLZ) proteins have been identified as important regulators of stress adaptation. In this study, we conducted a genome-wide characterization of the FLZ gene family in apple and functionally characterized MdFLZ2. qRT-PCR analysis revealed that MdFLZ2 was differentially expressed across various tissues and transcriptionally induced by both drought and salt stress. Subcellular localization assays demonstrated that the MdFLZ2 protein is localized to both the nucleus and the cytoplasm. The overexpression of MdFLZ2 in apple calli, Arabidopsis and tomato conferred increased resistance to drought and salt stress. In addition, yeast two-hybrid (Y2H) assays confirmed that MdFLZ2 interacted with MdSnRK1.1, and similar interactions were also detected between other MdFLZ family members and MdSnRK1.1. Collectively, our findings suggest MdFLZ2 as a positive regulator of drought and salt tolerance and highlight its potential to serve as a genetic resource for abiotic stress improvement.

Malus↗

PubMed2026

Complete telomere-to-telomere genome assembly of Guazuma ulmifolia uncovers evolutionary mechanisms, drought adaptation, and flavonoid biosynthesis.

The first T2T reference genome of Guazuma ulmifolia is reported, which serves as a core genomic resource for stress adaptation research and stress-tolerant breeding in cacao wild relatives. Climate change, particularly increased incidence of drought, poses a major threat to food security. Understanding the genomic basis of environmental adaptation in crop wild relatives can provide valuable resources for improving stress resilience. Guazuma ulmifolia, a wild relative of Theobroma cacao with important ecological and medicinal value, lacks high-quality reference genomic resources. Here, we report the first telomere-to-telomere (T2T) chromosome-level genome assembly of G. ulmifolia, with a genome size of 311.31 Mb, contig N50 of 35.19 Mb, and 98.70% BUSCO completeness. Repetitive sequences constitute 27.43% of the G. ulmifolia genome, with LTR retrotransposons as the predominant class. Comparative genomic analyses revealed that genome-size variation among Malvaceae species is associated with differences in polyploidization history and TE dynamics. Ancestral karyotype reconstruction identified five lineage-specific chromosome fusion events distinguishing G. ulmifolia from T. cacao. Comparative analyses further identified tandem duplication-associated expansion of stress-related LEA and GST gene families, suggesting potential genomic features associated with stress responses. Flavonoid biosynthesis genes were largely conserved in copy number but showed tissue-specific expression patterns, providing candidate genes for investigating secondary metabolism. Together, this study establishes a high-quality T2T genome resource for exploring genome evolution, chromosome organization, and stress-related genomic features in Malvaceae.

Genome, Plant↗

PubMed2026

Morphological, Physiological and Transcriptomic Changes in Response to Water Deficit Stress in Brassica napus L.

Yield losses due to water-deficit (WD) conditions, especially during the reproductive stages of plant development, pose a significant threat to global canola (Brassica napus L.) production. Therefore, it is critical to investigate traits contributing to improved productivity under increased WD conditions. Here we present phenotypic, physiological and transcriptomic changes in response to WD across contrasting canola accessions exhibiting variation in drought resistance-related traits. WD significantly reduced shoot biomass, plant height, harvest index, leaf water content, photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate, intrinsic water-use efficiency and carbon isotope discrimination. WD caused 49 to 100% of the seed yield reduction: the minimum seed yield reduction (49.66%) was observed in a doubled-haploid (DH) line, 06-5101.137, while the maximum yield reduction (94.1 to 100%) occurred in the late-flowering DH lines (06.5101.088 and 06-5101.306). Seed yield showed a positive correlation (r = 0.29 to 0.95) with shoot biomass and harvest index, leaf water content, photosynthetic CO2 assimilation rate, intrinsic water use efficiency and carbon isotope discrimination. However, it showed negative correlations with days to flower, leaf specific weight, root length, root biomass (r = -0.04 to -0.79) across water treatments. The specific leaf transcriptome analysis of the two parental lines of DH population that exhibit variation for effective water use under well-watered and water-deficient conditions revealed different categories of differentially expressed genes (DEGs): WD-responsive DEGs in BC1329 parental line (1116) and BC9102 (1205) with 754 and 853 DEGs unique to BC1329 and BC9102, respectively, WD-responsive DEGs (906), genotype-dependent DEGs (8465) and genotype × treatment interaction DEGs (353). DEG annotations revealed that the WD-treatment-affected genes were involved in stress responses and growth and development. We further located 235 DEGs within the QTL regions underlying agronomic and physiological performance. Our study provides a conceptual framework for the morphological, physiological and molecular determinants involved in water-use efficiency. Seedlings' traits with high heritability values, such as shoot biomass, leaf weight, leaf water content and Δ13C, serve as proxies for trait-based selection for improved seed yield under both water-limited and non-water-limited conditions.

Brassica napus↗

PubMed2026

Discovery of specific rhizosphere bacteria Rhodanobacter involved in KAI2-mediated drought tolerance in Arabidopsis.

The KARRIKIN INSENSITIVE 2 (KAI2) receptor has been reported to contribute to drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. However, the extent to which KAI2's function in drought tolerance depends on soil microbiota remains unclear. This study demonstrates that the rhizosphere microbiome is indispensable for KAI2-mediated drought tolerance. We isolated specific Rhodanobacter sp. and confirmed its role in enhancing drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. Notably, Rhodanobacter sp. was found to specifically secrete the key isoflavone daidzin. We found that daidzin had a similar function with KAI2 agonist, desmethyl-type germinone, and induced interaction between KAI2 and SUPRESSOR OF MORE AXILLARY GROWTH 2 1. Moreover, the exogenous application of daidzin enhanced drought tolerance by modulating the expression of karrikin response and drought-related genes, in a KAI2-dependent manner. Our findings suggest that the rhizosphere microbiome plays a crucial role in facilitating KAI2-mediated drought tolerance in Arabidopsis, with Rhodanobacter sp. contributing through the secretion of daidzin.

Arabidopsis↗

PubMed2026

Adaptation to seasonal drought in Arabis alpina is linked to the demographic history and climatic changes since the last glacial maximum.

Understanding how species adapt to new environments is a central goal in evolutionary biology, and a topical question in climate change research. Here, we sequenced the genomes of 426 individuals of the perennial, Arctic-alpine herb Arabis alpina to study demography and adaptation, with a focus on populations in Northern Spain, that experience warm and dry summers. Our inference supports a scenario in which A. alpina colonized Northern Spain in a range expansion event that started near the Alps around 216 thousand years ago (kya). During the last glacial episode (115 to 12 kya), this expansion proceeded westward, and effective population sizes were large across Europe, likely due to a larger suitable habitat for A. alpina. These ancient demographic events gave rise to a highly diverged genetic lineage in Northern Spain. In the present interglacial (between 12 kya and present), populations became increasingly fragmented, and lost genetic diversity across Europe. Furthermore, we detected signatures of selection at genes associated with responses to abiotic stress, including drought stress, and regulation of growth, for instance at SC5D and NAC055, which reflects the climatic changes since the last glacial period. Notably, an ancient polymorphism at the gene FRL1 emerged as a candidate for conferring variation in flowering behavior, and for contributing to adaptation to drought. Our study suggests that the combination of ancestral variation in flowering behavior, and positive selection on new mutations involved in drought responses, underlies the evolution of a new trait syndrome, and adaptation to climate change.

Droughts↗

PubMed2025

The small nucleolar RNA NON-CODING RNA 1 negatively regulates drought tolerance in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs) function in ribosome biogenesis, and many ribosome biogenesis-related genes were downregulated by osmotic stress, implying a negative role of snoRNAs in drought tolerance. A snoRNA, namely, the NON-CODING RNA 1 (NCR1) was studied for its roles in drought tolerance in Arabidopsis. In comparison with wild-type (WT) plants, the loss-of-function ncr1 mutant plants showed enhanced drought tolerance, which was restored in the NCR1-complemented plants, whereas the NCR1-overexpressing plants revealed a drought-sensitive phenotype. Physiological analyses revealed that the ncr1 plants had a higher leaf surface temperature, lower water loss rates, and improved cell membrane integrity compared with WT. Comparative leaf transcriptomics and proteomics suggested that wax biosynthesis, anthocyanin metabolism, and leaf senescence processes are regulated by NCR1 under both normal and water-deficit conditions. Under drought, an increase in wax and anthocyanin accumulations and a delay in leaf senescence in ncr1 plants, when compared with WT, supported the transcriptome and proteomics data. Additionally, the ncr1 plants exhibited higher abscisic acid (ABA) sensitivity and longer root hairs than WT. Collectively, our results suggest that NCR1 negatively regulates drought tolerance through modification of wax biosynthesis, anthocyanin accumulation, leaf senescence, cell membrane integrity, ABA responses, and root hair development.

Arabidopsis↗