PubMed · 2026-04-17
Scientists mapped how major crop plants — wheat, rice, maize, sorghum, and others — respond to drought at the genetic level, revealing which response mechanisms are shared across species and which are unique to certain lineages. This large-scale analysis suggests drought resistance is shaped by the overall structure of gene networks, not just a handful of key genes.
The team mapped 3.3 million gene interactions across 130,000 genes using over 5,000 RNA sequencing datasets from major grass crops.
Two gene interaction patterns — TCP-PP2C and ERF-2OGD — are conserved across multiple crop species and linked to drought hormone signaling and managing oxidative stress.
Divergent drought mechanisms were identified: SPL-PELP is unique to the rice/wheat lineage, while ERF-Psb28 is specific to the maize/sorghum lineage.
