Stage-specific transcriptomic responses of wheat to heat, drought, and combined stress: AP2/ERF regulatory networks and functional characterization of TaEREBP1-L.

ABSTRACT: Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production is increasingly constrained by drought, heat, and their combination, especially in arid regions like Xinjiang, China. While previous studies have focused on single-stress responses, the molecular mechanisms underlying wheat adaptation to combined drought and heat stress (HD) remain elusive. Here, we performed transcriptome profiling at three key spike developmental stages-Jointing Stage (JS), Stamen and Pistil Primordial Differentiation Stage (SPDS), and Tetrad Stage (TS)-under drought (DS), heat (HS), and combined HD conditions. Comparative analysis revealed that HD triggered the most extensive transcriptional reprogramming, with 3,884, 5,230, and 2,793 stage-specific upregulated genes across JS, SPDS, and TS, respectively. Notably, the overlap betw

SUBMITTER: Han J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12625192 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature