A 2025 Frontiers in Plant Science study compared NAC transcription-factor families across 20 barley genomes, identifying 127–149 NAC genes per accession and mapping core/accessory variation.
NAC transcription factors participate in development, senescence and stress responses, but a single reference genome cannot capture all family variation. The pan-genome comparison identified gene gain/loss and accession-specific patterns and integrated expression datasets to nominate development- and stress-responsive candidates.
The study did not functionally prove a set of ‘rapid’ and ‘long-term’ stress genes or demonstrate that editing particular NAC genes will immediately raise field yield under salinity or drought. Its main value is a candidate map for future functional genetics and breeding.
For related context, see How Are Japanese Soybeans Genomically Different? A 462-Accession Pangenome—and Two Author Corrections.
For related context, see Why Plants Can Survive Below Freezing: Supercooling, Ice Nucleation and Extracellular Freezing.
For related context, see What Does Plant Resistance Mean? Maize–Mite Interactions Explain Antixenosis, Antibiosis and Tolerance.
Reference
- Liu X et al. The evolution, variation, and expression patterns under development and stress responses of the NAC gene family in the barley pan-genome. Front Plant Sci. 2025;16:1635416. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2025.1635416
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