A chromosome‐scale genome assembly of Hordeum erectifolium : genomic, transcriptomic and anatomical adaptations to drought in a wild barley relative

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Wild crop relatives are valuable genetic resources for improving stress adaptation in cultivated species, but their effective use depends on high-quality reference genomes integrated with phenotypic and molecular datasets. Hordeum erectifolium, a wild relative of barley (H. vulgare), is adapted to intermittent and prolonged drought and saline soils, making it an excellent species for stress-adaptation research. We assembled a chromosome-scale, annotated reference genome of H. erectifolium comprising 3.85 Gbp, and identified 71 475 genes supported by a tissue-specific gene expression atlas. Comparative morphological, physiological and transcriptomic analyses under water limitation were conducted with H. erectifolium, and cultivated and wild barley. Hordeum erectifolium displayed a greater density of leaf veins and sclerenchyma cells, alongside rapid leaf rolling upon dehydration. Genomic comparisons revealed structural variations, independent transposon-driven evolution and copy number expansions of desiccation-responsive gene families relative to barley. The transcriptional responses of H. erectifolium and barley to water limitation suggested contrasting drought-adaptation strategies: metabolic downregulation and survival prioritization in H. erectifolium vs maintenance of metabolic activity and competitiveness in barley. Our data suggest that H. erectifolium is genetically primed for survival under drought through anatomical adaptations, gene family expansion, efficient shutdown of growth-related metabolism and rapid recovery upon rehydration.