Transcriptome analysis of drought stress in chestnut

Drought-induced osmotic stress is a major environmental challenge that significantly reduces chestnut crop yields. Methylglyoxal (MG) has shown potential in alleviating drought-related symptoms in chestnut plants, but its molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to uncover the molecular mechanisms underlying MG-induced drought tolerance in chestnut seedlings through transcriptomic analysis. Using the reference genome, a total of 35,282 genes were identified in chestnut seedlings, of which 33,597 were annotated, and 1,685 new genes were discovered. Differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were analyzed across various treatments: CK vs. MG, CK vs. PEG, PEG vs. PEGMG, PEG vs. PEGMGNAC, and PEGMG vs. PEGMGNAC. A total of 2,152, 1,499, 1,060, 664, and 747 DEGs were identified, including 1,188, 1,039, 666, 392, and 341 upregulated DEGs, and 749, 625, 394, 272, and 406 downregulated DEGs, respectively.