Arabidopsis thaliana drought experiment
This study investigates how the light environment shapes hormonal and transcriptional responses to progressive drought stress in Arabidopsis thaliana. Wild-type plants (Col-0) were grown under two contrasting light regimes: white light under short-day conditions and continuous low-intensity blue light and subjected to progressive water restriction. RNA-seq was performed on shoot and root tissues of drought-stressed and well-watered control plants to characterize drought-induced changes in gene expression, with emphasis on abscisic acid (ABA) and gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis, catabolism, and signalling pathways. Hormone profiling and leaf temperature measurements complemented the transcriptomic analysis. The study aims to determine how blue light attenuates drought-induced adjustments in shoot growth, root architecture, and stomatal regulation by modulating GA and ABA homeostasis. Understanding this light-hormone interplay advances knowledge of plant adaptation to water limitation and may inform strategies for improving drought resilience in crops.