Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40348990›Full record

ArticleBMC plant biology2025

Mapping the molecular signature of ABA-regulated gene expression in germinating barley embryos.

Ewa Sybilska, Bahareh Sadat Haddadi, Luis A J Mur, Manfred Beckmann, Szymon Hryhorowicz, Joanna Suszynska-Zajczyk, Monika Knaur, Andrzej Pławski, Agata Daszkowska-Golec

Abstract read
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
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Review
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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

9 authors.

Ewa SybilskaInstitute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland.
Bahareh Sadat HaddadiDepartment of Life Science, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK.
Luis A J MurDepartment of Life Science, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK.
Manfred BeckmannDepartment of Life Science, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth, UK.
Szymon HryhorowiczInstitute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
Joanna Suszynska-ZajczykInstitute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
Monika KnaurInstitute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
Andrzej PławskiInstitute of Human Genetics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznan, Poland.
Agata Daszkowska-GolecInstitute of Biology, Biotechnology and Environmental Protection, Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Silesia in Katowice, Katowice, Poland. agata.daszkowska@us.edu.pl.

Funding

Narodowe Centrum Nauki 2020/38/E/NZ9/00346
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAbscisic acid (ABA) regulates key plant processes, including seed germination, dormancy, and abiotic stress responses. While its physiological role in germination is well-documented, the molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. To address this, we analyzed transcriptomic and metabolomic changes in ABA-treated germinating barley (Hordeum vulgare) embryos. To map ABA-responsive gene expression across embryonic tissues, we employed the Visium Spatial Transcriptomics (10× Genomics). This approach, which remains technically challenging to be applied in plant tissues, enabled the precise localization of gene expression across six embryo regions, offering insights into tissue-specific expression patterns that cannot be resolved by traditional RNA-seq.

resultsTranscriptomic analysis indicated that ABA acts primarily as a germination repressor. Gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses linked ABA-inhibited genes to energy metabolism, lignin biosynthesis, cell wall organization, and photosynthesis, while induced genes were associated with environmental adaptation and phytohormone signaling. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) correlated with metabolites involved in phytohormone pathways, including gibberellins, jasmonates, brassinosteroids, salicylic acid, auxins, and ABA metabolism. Comparisons with developing seed transcriptomes suggested an ABA-associated gene expression signature in embryos. Spatial transcriptomics technique made possible the precise identification of ABA-induced transcriptional changes within distinct embryonic tissues.

conclusionsIntegrating transcriptomics, metabolomics and spatial transcriptomics defined the molecular signature of ABA-induced modulation of phytohormonal crosstalk, energy metabolism, and tissue-specific gene activity in germinating seeds. The successful use of spatial transcriptomics adds a novel layer of resolution for understanding tissue-specific ABA responses during barley seed germination. These findings offer new insights into the ABA role in seed germination and potential strategies for enhancing crop resilience.

Indexed as

Abscisic AcidGene Expression Regulation, PlantGerminationHordeumPlant Growth RegulatorsSeedsGene Expression ProfilingTranscriptomeAbscisic AcidPlant Growth RegulatorsABABarleyEmbryoMetabolomicsSeed germinationSpatial transcriptomicsTranscriptomics

Identifiers

PMID40348990
PMCPMC12065168

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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.