ArticleBMC plant biology2025
MsLEA_3-6 overexpression enhances drought tolerance in Medicago sativa L.
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 2 papers.
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.
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.
Who cites it
2 citing papers in PubMed.
- Overexpression ofInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
- Overexpression of the tomato SlLEA_2-26 gene enhances the tolerance to drought and salt stresses in Arabidopsis thaliana.Journal of plant research · 2026Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
9 authors.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundLate embryogenesis abundant (LEA) proteins are pivotal mediators of plant abiotic stress adaptation, but their functional roles and regulatory mechanisms in forage crops like Medicago sativa remain unclear. Through a genome-wide analysis of the LEA_3 subgroup in alfalfa, we identified MsLEA_3–6, whose expression is significantly induced by drought. To elucidate its role in drought tolerance, we conducted a comprehensive molecular and physiological characterization of MsLEA_3–6.
resultsPhylogenetic analysis placed MsLEA_3–6 within a conserved clade of drought-responsive LEA proteins. Its promoter harbored stress-related cis-elements, and its expression was upregulated under drought and salinity. Subcellular localization revealed plasma membrane association, while β-glucuronidase GUS staining confirmed ubiquitous expression in the roots, stems, leaves, flowers, and seeds of transgenic Arabidopsis. Overexpression of MsLEA_3–6 enhanced drought tolerance in Arabidopsis (improved root growth and germination under mannitol) and alfalfa (reduced H2O2 and malondialdehyde accumulation, elevated proline/soluble sugars, and attenuated oxidative stress via ROS scavenging). A soil moisture monitoring system demonstrated that MsLEA_3–6 overexpression led to improved photosynthetic performance under drought conditions. Furthermore, the expression of stress/ABA-responsive genes (ABI5, ABF3, NCED5, and NCED9) was altered in the transgenic lines compared with those in the wild-type plants under both normal and drought conditions. Dual-luciferase assays identified MsWRKY71 (MS.gene023126) as a direct binder of the MsLEA_3–6 promoter, forming a stress-responsive regulatory module.
conclusionsOur findings identify MsLEA_3–6 as a functionally conserved, drought-responsive LEA protein that enhances osmotic adjustment and oxidative stress mitigation in transgenic plants, likely through coordinated regulation of ABA signaling and MsWRKY71-mediated transcriptional activation. While the findings support the functional relevance of MsLEA_3–6 under controlled conditions, further studies are needed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms and to validate its utility in improving drought tolerance under field environments.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
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.