Integrated lipidomics and physiological analyses reveal the critical role of leaf sheath wax remodeling in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) drought resistance.

ABSTRACT: The increasing frequency of droughts driven by global warming poses a significant threat to wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) growth and yield. This study investigated stably inherited cuticular-wax mutants of wheat leaf sheaths, generated by ethyl-methanesulfonate (EMS) mutagenesis and isolated through phenotype-based screening. We systematically analyzed physiological responses, leaf sheath wax architecture, and lipid metabolism in a multi-wax mutant (mw; characterized by abundant leaf sheath wax crystals), a low-wax mutant (lw), and the wild type (WT) under both well-watered and drought conditions. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) revealed a distinctive honeycomb-like network on the mw sheath epidermis, whereas the lw primarily displayed scattered block-like crystals. Under drought stress,

SUBMITTER: Wen H 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12661743 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature