Background: Mongolian grasslands, including the Gobi Desert, have been exposed to drought conditions with few rains. In such harsh environments, plants with highly resistant abilities against drought stress survive over long periods. We hypothesized that these plants could harbor novel and valuable genes for enhancing drought stress resistance.
Results: In this study, we identified Chloris virgata, a Mongolian grassland plant with strong drought resistance. RNA-seq-based transcriptome analysis was performed to uncover genes associated with drought stress resistance in C. virgata. De novo transcriptome assembly revealed 25,469 protein-coding transcripts and 1,219 upregulated genes after 3- and 6-hr drought stress treatments. Analysis by homology search and Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment indicated that abscisic acid (ABA)- and drought stress-related GO terms were enriched. Among the highly induced genes, ten candidate cDNAs were selected and overexpressed in Arabidopsis. When subjected to drought stress, three of these genes conferred strong drought resistance in the transgenic plants. We named these genes Mongolian Grassland plant Drought-stress resistance genes 1, 2, and 3 (MGD1, MGD2, and MGD3). Gene expression analyses in the transformants suggested that MGD1, MGD2, and MGD3 may activate drought stress-related signalling pathways.
Conclusion: This study highlighted the drought resistance of C. virgata and identified three novel genes that enhance drought stress resistance.
Download full-text PDF |
Source |
---|---|
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11724609 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12870-025-06046-3 | DOI Listing |
BMC Genomics
January 2025
Henan Collaborative Innovation Center of Modern Biological Breeding, College of Agronomy, Henan Institute of Science and Technology, Xinxiang, 453003, China.
Background: The Sec14 domain is an ancient lipid-binding domain that evolved from yeast Sec14p and performs complex lipid-mediated regulatory functions in subcellular organelles and intracellular traffic. The Sec14 family is characterized by a highly conserved Sec14 domain, and is ubiquitously expressed in all eukaryotic cells and has diverse functions. However, the number and characteristics of Sec14 homologous genes in soybean, as well as their potential roles, remain understudied.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
The New Zealand Institute for Plant & Food Research Limited, 120 Mt Albert Road, Auckland 1025, New Zealand.
Calcium-dependent protein kinases (CPKs) are plant proteins that directly bind calcium ions before phosphorylating substrates involved in biotic and abiotic stress responses, as well as development. CPK3 () is involved with plant signaling pathways such as stomatal movement regulation, salt stress response, apoptosis, seed germination and pathogen defense. In this study, and its orthologues in relatively distant plant species such as rice (, monocot) and kiwifruit (, asterid eudicot) were analyzed in response to drought, bacteria, fungi, and virus infections.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
Department of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Politecnica delle Marche (UNIVPM), Via Brecce Bianche 10, 60131 Ancona, Italy.
Water scarcity is an ecological issue affecting over 10% of Europe. It is intensified by rising temperatures, leading to greater evaporation and reduced precipitation. Agriculture has been confirmed as the sector accounting for the highest water consumption globally, and it faces significant challenges relating to drought, impacting crop yields and food security.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
Department Biosciences and Territory, University of Molise, 86090 Pesche, Italy.
In the Mediterranean basin, urban forests are widely recognized as essential landscape components, playing a key role in nature-based solutions by enhancing environmental quality and providing a range of ecosystem services. The selection of woody plant species for afforestation and reforestation should prioritize native species that align with the biogeographical and ecological characteristics of the planting sites. Among these, L.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPlants (Basel)
January 2025
Shapotou Desert Research and Experimental Station, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Donggang West Road, Lanzhou 730000, China.
Turcz. is a winter annual species of the Asteraceae family, distributed in sandy areas of northern China, and is crucial for wind avoidance and sand fixation. To understand the inter- and intra-annual population dynamics of in its cold desert habitats, we conducted long- and short-term demographic studies to investigate the timing of germination, seedling survival, soil seed bank and seed longevity of natural populations on the fringe of the Tengger Desert.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!