ArticleGenome biology2025
Single-nucleus transcriptomics revealed auxin-driven mechanisms of wood plasticity to enhance severe drought tolerance in poplar.
Article in Genome biology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.
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Who cites it
3 citing papers in PubMed.
- Stable lineages, rewired landscapes: single-cell and spatial multi-omics reveal developmental plasticity under abiotic stress.The New phytologist · 2026Review
- Integrating scRNA-seq and snRNA-seq with spatial transcriptomics to unlock the xylem puzzle.Genome biology · 2026Article
- Single-nucleus transcriptomics revealed auxin-driven mechanisms of wood plasticity to enhance severe drought tolerance in poplar.Genome biology · 2025Article
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8 authors.
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Abstract
backgroundDrought significantly affects forests and woody crops by limiting their growth, increasing their susceptibility to diseases, and reducing productivity. Wood anatomical plasticity is a crucial adaptive mechanism that enables trees to cope with fluctuations in water availability. During severe drought, trees develop more and narrower vessels, enhancing hydraulic safety and reducing the risk of embolism. However, the molecular regulation of vessel formation is still not well understood.
resultsUsing single-nucleus transcriptomics, we have generated a cell type-specific gene expression map of the mature poplar stem under well-watered and drought conditions. Our findings reveal extensive gene expression reprogramming in xylem-forming cells, with changes in auxin homeostasis identified as a key mechanism for anatomical adaptation. Specifically, we show that poplar WAT1-like genes control vessel spatial patterning. Additionally, the downregulation of WAT1-like gene expression in the dividing cells of the vascular cambium and the upregulation of MP-like gene expression in cells undergoing early vessel differentiation facilitate the formation of secondary xylem with narrower and more numerous vessels under drought. Furthermore, the wat2 mutant exhibits greater drought tolerance than wild-type trees, underscoring its potential for developing drought-resilient tree varieties.
conclusionsThis study provides the first single-nucleus transcriptomic map of hybrid poplar stems under severe drought, uncovering auxin-driven hormonal networks that regulate xylem plasticity and enhance drought tolerance. These insights provide valuable targets for improving resilience in poplar and other woody species.
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