Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40259217›Full record

ArticleBMC plant biology2025

Identification of key genes and signaling pathways in coconut (Cocos nucifera L.) under drought stress via comparative transcriptome analysis.

Md Babul Akter, Jing Li, Xiang Lv, Mumtaz Ali Saand, Ambreen Mehvish, Md Abu Sayed, Yaodong Yang

Abstract readComparative Study
In one paragraph

Article in BMC plant biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Article
  4. Transcriptomic analysis ofFrontiers in plant science · 2025
    Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Md Babul AkterHainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Oil Crops Biology/Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang, 571339, China.
Jing LiHainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Oil Crops Biology/Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang, 571339, China.
Xiang LvHainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Oil Crops Biology/Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang, 571339, China.
Mumtaz Ali SaandHainan Coconut International Joint Research Center, Wenchang, 571339, China.
Ambreen MehvishHainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Oil Crops Biology/Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang, 571339, China.
Md Abu SayedHainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Oil Crops Biology/Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang, 571339, China.
Yaodong YangHainan Key Laboratory of Tropical Oil Crops Biology/Coconut Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Tropical Agricultural Sciences, Wenchang, 571339, China. yyang@catas.cn.

Funding

National Key Research and Development Program of China 2023YFD2200700The fundamental Scientific Research Funds for Chinese Academy of Tropical Agriculture Sciences 1630152023007The National Natural Science Foundation of China 32071805
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundDrought stress has become a pervasive environmental challenge, significantly impacting all stages of plant growth and development under changing climatic conditions worldwide. In coconut, drought stress critically impairs reproductive development, notably reducing the quality of pollen and gametes during fertilization. Therefore, the seedlings of the aromatic coconut variety were subjected to drought stress for varying durations: control (no stress), 7 days, 14 days, and 21 days to find the potential molecular mechanisms and genes related to coconut drought tolerance through transcriptomic analysis. Our study may provide a theoretical basis for investigations into drought stress tolerance that will be useful for further coconut improvement.

resultsWe assessed antioxidant enzyme activity and conducted comparative transcriptome analyses of aromatic coconut under different drought conditions (7, 14, and 21 days). Our findings revealed significant rises in superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD) activities and proline (Pro) content across all drought periods compared to control plants, suggesting that these enzymes play a crucial role in the adaptive response of coconuts to drought stress. RNA-seq data identified 280, 729, and 6,698 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) at 7, 14, and 21 days, respectively. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) revealed that coconut samples were scattered and separated across different treatment points, suggesting the presence of differentially expressed genes (DEGs), particularly in the 21 day drought treatment (GH21d). KEGG pathway analysis indicated that DEGs were significantly enriched in pathways related to plant-pathogen interaction, plant hormone signaling, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling. Functional annotation of these DEGs revealed key candidate genes involved in several hormone signaling pathways, including abscisic acid (ABA), jasmonates (JA), auxin (AUX), brassinosteroids (BR), ethylene (ET), and gibberellin (GA), along with MAPK pathway which may regulate plant adaptation to drought stress through processes such as plant growth, cell division, stomatal closure, root growth, and stomatal development. This study provides valuable insights into the genetic and molecular basis of drought tolerance in coconuts, paving the way for the improvement of drought-tolerant coconut varieties.

conclusionsUnder drought stress, the expression of genes related to plant growth, stomatal closure, cell division, stress response, adaptation, and stomatal development appears to play a critical role in drought tolerance in coconut. Our results revealed that multiple genes may contribute to the drought tolerance mechanism in coconut through various hormone signaling pathways, including ABA, JA, auxin, BR, GA, and ethylene. These findings offer new insights into the key molecular mechanisms governing drought tolerance in aromatic coconut. Furthermore, the candidate genes and pathways identified in this study could be valuable for developing strategies to enhance drought tolerance in coconut plants. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not Applicable.

Indexed as

CocosDroughtsSignal TransductionTranscriptomeGene Expression ProfilingGene Expression Regulation, PlantGenes, PlantPlant Growth RegulatorsStress, PhysiologicalPlant Growth RegulatorsAntioxidant enzymesDifferentially expressed genes (DEGs) and coconutDrought stressMAPK signaling pathwayPlant hormone signal transductionTranscriptome

Identifiers

PMID40259217
PMCPMC12012947

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LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.