A chromosome-scale genome assembly of Hordeum erectifolium : genomic, transcriptomic and anatomical adaptations to drought in a wild barley relative
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Wild crop relatives are valuable genetic resources for improving stress adaptation in cultivated species, but their effective use depends on high-quality reference genomes integrated with phenotypic and molecular datasets. Hordeum erectifolium , a wild relative of barley ( H. vulgare ), is adapted to intermittent and prolonged drought and saline soils, making it an excellent model for stress-adaptation research.
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We assembled a chromosome-scale, annotated reference genome of H. erectifolium comprising 3.85 Gbp, and identified 71,475 genes supported by a tissue-specific gene expression atlas. Comparative morphological, physiological, and transcriptomic analyses under water limitation were conducted with cultivated and wild barley.
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H. erectifolium displayed a greater density of leaf veins and sclerenchyma cells, alongside rapid leaf rolling upon dehydration. Genomic comparisons revealed structural variations, independent transposon-driven evolution, and copy number expansions of desiccation-responsive gene families relative to barley. The transcriptional responses of H. erectifolium and barley to water limitation suggested contrasting drought-adaptation strategies: metabolic down-regulation and survival prioritization in H. erectifolium versus maintenance of metabolic activity and competitiveness in barley.
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Our data suggest that H. erectifolium is genetically primed for survival under drought through anatomical adaptations, gene family expansion, efficient shutdown of growth-related metabolism, and rapid recovery upon rehydration.
