The complex molecular basis of enhanced stress resilience in extreme drought-tolerant Arabis grassland species

Background and AimsPlant species in competitive meadows must tolerate extreme stress, yet the mechanisms underlying resilience remain poorly understood. Arabis nemorensis, an endangered selfing species of Euro- pean floodplain grasslands, experiences both flooding and drought and hybridizes with its close relative, A. sagittata. We investigated how these species differ in drought survival and the molec- ular basis of their responses. MethodsSympatric lineages of A. nemorensis and A. sagittata were compared in a controlled dry-down experiment, complemented by transcriptome and small RNA profiling, and machine-learning anal- ysis of cis-regulatory motifs. Key ResultsBoth species wilted at 5% soil moisture, but A. sagittata recovered more effectively (90% vs. 50%). This difference was not explained by a major QTL, suggesting a polygenic basis. Transcrip- tome profiling revealed stronger induction in A. sagittata (6,359 vs. 5,571 differentially expressed genes). Small RNA analysis identified species-specific regulation of miR408, a conserved drought regulator. Machine-learning identified 307 sequence motifs predictive of stress-responsive expres- sion, with motif distributions indicating distinct regulatory networks. ConclusionsThis study reveals the polygenic and regulatory complexity underlying divergent drought resili- ence strategies in the closely related species thriving in grassland environments. Arabis nemorensis and its close relative A. sagittata co-occur in a floodplain meadow exposed to flooding and drought. In dry-down experiments, A. sagittata recovered more effectively than A. nemorensis. Transcriptome and small RNA analyses revealed stronger stress responses in A. sagittata, including regulation of miR408. These differences result from different regulatory networks and have a polygenic basis.