Jasmonate, salicylate and ethylene-responsive transcriptomics discovery in spikelets of three wheat genotypes reveals a rapid and conserved response for jasmonate signaling

Current models are largely derived from Arabidopsis, and increasing evidence indicates that monocots only partially conform to these canonical pathways, with additional variability even within the clade. In cereals, salicylate (SA), jasmonate (JA), and ethylene (ET) signaling play important roles in both inflorescence development and pathogen defence.

This communication focuses on the transcriptional responses of wheat inflorescence tissue in three genotypes 8 h following exogenous applications of salicylic acid (SA), methyl jasmonate (MeJA) and the ethylene-releasing compound, ethephon (ETp). Nearly 8,000 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in response to MeJA, approximately half of which were conserved across all three genotypes. In contrast, SA and ETp elicited limited responses, each inducing fewer than 100 DEGs little to no overlap among genotypes.