Academic Journal
Comparative transcriptomic and physiological analyses uncover key regulatory pathways associated with drought tolerance in wheat.
| Title: | Comparative transcriptomic and physiological analyses uncover key regulatory pathways associated with drought tolerance in wheat. |
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| Authors: | Jin Y; Crop Research Institute; Biological Breeding Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Crop Physiological Ecology and Tillage in Desert Oasis Regions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China., Han J; Crop Research Institute; Biological Breeding Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Crop Physiological Ecology and Tillage in Desert Oasis Regions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Oasis Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry and Rural Affairs, Urumqi 830091, China., Wang C; Crop Research Institute; Biological Breeding Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Crop Physiological Ecology and Tillage in Desert Oasis Regions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Oasis Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry and Rural Affairs, Urumqi 830091, China., Zhang Z; Crop Research Institute; Biological Breeding Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Crop Physiological Ecology and Tillage in Desert Oasis Regions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Oasis Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry and Rural Affairs, Urumqi 830091, China., Chen X; Crop Research Institute; Biological Breeding Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Crop Physiological Ecology and Tillage in Desert Oasis Regions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Oasis Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry and Rural Affairs, Urumqi 830091, China., Wang Z; Crop Research Institute; Biological Breeding Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Crop Physiological Ecology and Tillage in Desert Oasis Regions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Oasis Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry and Rural Affairs, Urumqi 830091, China., Zhao Z; Crop Research Institute; Biological Breeding Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Crop Physiological Ecology and Tillage in Desert Oasis Regions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Oasis Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry and Rural Affairs, Urumqi 830091, China., Wang Z; Crop Research Institute; Biological Breeding Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Crop Physiological Ecology and Tillage in Desert Oasis Regions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Oasis Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry and Rural Affairs, Urumqi 830091, China., Zhang Y; Crop Research Institute; Biological Breeding Laboratory; Key Laboratory of Crop Physiological Ecology and Tillage in Desert Oasis Regions, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Urumqi 830091, China; Key Laboratory of Northwest Oasis Water-Saving Agriculture, Ministry and Rural Affairs, Urumqi 830091, China. Electronic address: yueqiangzhang@xaas.ac.cn. |
| Source: | Genomics [Genomics] 2026 Sep; Vol. 118 (5), pp. 111287. Date of Electronic Publication: 2026 Jul 09. |
| Publication Type: | Journal Article; Comparative Study |
| Language: | English |
| Journal Info: | Publisher: Academic Press Country of Publication: United States NLM ID: 8800135 Publication Model: Print-Electronic Cited Medium: Internet ISSN: 1089-8646 (Electronic) Linking ISSN: 08887543 NLM ISO Abbreviation: Genomics Subsets: MEDLINE |
| Imprint Name(s): | Original Publication: San Diego : Academic Press, [c1987- |
| MeSH Terms: | Triticum*/genetics , Triticum*/metabolism , Triticum*/physiology , Drought Resistance*/genetics , Transcriptome*, Abscisic Acid/metabolism ; Plant Proteins/genetics ; Plant Proteins/metabolism ; Gene Expression Regulation, Plant ; Signal Transduction ; Droughts |
| Abstract: | Drought severely limits wheat yield, yet its molecular basis remains incompletely understood. We compared a drought-tolerant line (A25) and a drought-sensitive line (A8) under water deficit across three developmental stages using physiological assays and transcriptomics. A25 exhibited stronger osmotic adjustment and antioxidant defense, with higher proline accumulation and enhanced activities of ascorbate peroxidase, catalase, and other ROS-scavenging enzymes. RNA-seq revealed distinct drought-responsive expression patterns, with differentially expressed genes enriched in MAPK signaling and ABA-dependent pathways. ABA-responsive genes were more abundant and strongly induced in A25, suggesting enhanced ABA signal transduction as a key mechanism. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis identified a drought-associated purple module positively correlated with physiological resistance, from which six hub genes (MAPKKK17, Avr9/Cf-9, RPPL1, RGA1, UBC28, AGPs5) were highlighted as potential regulators. Collectively, coordinated activation of ABA signaling and MAPK cascades, mediated by these hub genes, underlies the robust drought tolerance of A25, providing promising molecular targets for wheat breeding and improvement. (Copyright © 2026 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.) |
| Competing Interests: | Declaration of competing interest The researchers declare that there are no financial or personal associations that could be perceived as influencing the research in this work. All researchers ensure that there are no competing interests, either direct or indirect, that may have influenced the design, implementation, or interpretation of this study. |
| Contributed Indexing: | Keywords: ABA; Drought resistance; RNA-Seq; WGCNA; Wheat |
| Substance Nomenclature: | 72S9A8J5GW (Abscisic Acid) 0 (Plant Proteins) |
| Entry Date(s): | Date Created: 20260709 Date Completed: 20260909 Latest Revision: 20260909 |
| Update Code: | 20260910 |
| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ygeno.2026.111287 |
| PMID: | 42425197 |
| Database: | MEDLINE |
| ISSN: | 1089-8646 |
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| DOI: | 10.1016/j.ygeno.2026.111287 |