Análisis multitemporada revela cientos de genes sensibles a la sequía en el sorgo

Área de la Ciencia:

• Plant Biology; Genomics; Agricultural Science

Sus antecedentes:

• Persistent drought poses a significant threat to global crop production, necessitating strategies to enhance plant resilience.; Sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) demonstrates remarkable drought tolerance, making it a vital model for studying plant stress responses.; Understanding the molecular mechanisms behind sorghum's drought resilience is crucial for developing effective mitigation strategies.

Objetivo del estudio:

• To identify molecular traits contributing to sorghum's drought tolerance through large-scale gene expression profiling.; To analyze time-resolved transcriptomic responses in sorghum under field drought conditions over three years.; To characterize conserved and genotype-specific gene expression patterns using reference-quality genomes.

Principales métodos:

• Conducted a 3-year field study with nearly 1500 transcriptome profiles from two sorghum genotypes (BTx642 and RTx430).; Generated de novo reference-quality genomes for BTx642 and RTx430 to enable pangene analysis.; Integrated time-resolved transcriptomic data from roots and leaves under control and drought conditions.

Principales resultados:

• Identified 726 drought-responsive genes showing consistent responses across all three study years.; Functional enrichment analysis revealed significant impacts on abiotic stress, secondary cell wall processes, and metabolism.; Observed differential regulation of glyoxylate cycle genes (malate synthase, isocitrate lyase) during post-flowering drought stress.

Conclusiones:

• The study provides a comprehensive dataset and methodological framework for sorghum and drought research.; Identified specific genes and pathways, such as the glyoxylate cycle, critical for sorghum's drought responsiveness.; Findings contribute to understanding plant adaptation to drought and developing climate-resilient crops.