Cross-species transcriptomic plasticity and root architectural adaptations in Brachypodium (Brachypodium distachyon) and barley (Hordeum vulgare) genotypes under different ammonium and nitrate availability.

Authors

Hamid Rouina, Dilkaran Singh, Christopher Arlt, Amy Marshall-Colon, Benjamin Stich

Published in

Frontiers in plant science. Volume 17. Pages 1916213. Epub Oct 09, 2026.

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) form and availability shape the root phenotype by altering the root transcriptome and modulating root system architecture. However, it remains unclear whether these N-responsive architectural traits and their underlying regulatory networks are conserved or divergent between closely related grass species. Here, we compared root architectural and transcriptomic responses to nitrate and ammonium supply in Brachypodium distachyon and eight barley (Hordeum vulgare) genotypes under N starvation, optimal N supply, and high-N conditions. High-resolution root phenotyping revealed contrasting species-specific responses to N form. Barley generally showed enhanced lateral root elongation under nitrate but reduced total root length and limited lateral root proliferation under ammonium, indicating ammonium sensitivity. In contrast, B. distachyon maintained greater root architectural plasticity under ammonium, producing a highly branched and thinner root system. Cross-species module preservation and gene regulatory network analyses identified conserved hub genes, including FERONIA, peroxidase-like genes, CuAO-like genes, aspartyl proteases, and PEPC1-associated modules, as potential integrators of N signaling and root architectural remodeling in barley and B. distachyon. Taken together, our findings indicate that the two Pooideae species share conserved regulatory components but deploy them within distinct network contexts, leading to divergent root strategies in response to nitrate and ammonium. Ultimately, these results provide candidate genes and regulatory modules for improving root plasticity and N use efficiency in cereals.

PMID:
42920557
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 24 Oct 2026.

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