Genetic and Physiological Resilience in Turfgrasses

Turfgrasses combine remarkable genetic diversity with a suite of physiological adaptations that underpin their capacity to withstand drought, salinity, cold and other environmental stresses. Advances in genome sequencing have revealed whole-genome duplications and extensive gene family expansions—particularly in stress-associated pathways such as cytochrome P450 and abscisic acid biosynthesis—that furnish raw material for adaptation. Quantitative trait-locus mapping and genome-wide association studies have pinpointed loci governing salinity tolerance, water‐use efficiency and growth habit, while transcriptomic and proteomic analyses have illuminated the roles of hormone signalling, osmoprotectant synthesis and antioxidant systems in stress responses. Gene‐editing tools now enable precise manipulation of key regulators, accelerating the development of cultivars with reduced maintenance requirements. Together, these genetic insights and physiological characterisations are driving the creation of more resilient turfgrasses for sustainable landscapes, sports fields and ecological restoration under a changing climate.

Research from Nature Portfolio

A radiation-induced dwarf mutant of a subtropical warm-season turfgrass was characterised through integrated physiological assays and transcriptome profiling. The mutant exhibited reduced height, darker foliage and altered canopy architecture, traits linked to down-regulation of auxin-transport genes (including PIN-FORMED1) and cell-wall biosynthesis enzymes (such as cellulose synthase). Biochemical analyses revealed modifications in antioxidant enzyme activities (catalase, peroxidase, superoxide dismutase) and lignin content, while hormone quantification showed decreased indole-3-acetic acid and abscisic acid levels. This work illustrates how targeted disruption of hormone pathways and cell-wall genes can yield low-maintenance phenotypes, offering a blueprint for molecular breeding aimed at reducing mowing frequency and improving turfgrass management.

Genetic and Physiological Resilience in Turfgrasses publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in genetic and physiological resilience in turfgrasses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Whole-genome duplication (WGD): an event in which an organism’s entire genetic complement is duplicated, creating paralogous gene pairs that may acquire novel functions or regulatory patterns.

Quantitative trait locus (QTL): a genomic region statistically associated with variation in a continuously measured trait, such as drought tolerance or growth rate.

Transcriptomics: the study of the full set of RNA transcripts produced by the genome under specific conditions, used to identify differentially expressed genes in response to stress.

Reactive oxygen species (ROS): chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen; at elevated levels they can damage cellular components but also act as signalling mediators during stress responses.

Phytohormone: a naturally occurring plant hormone (for example auxin or abscisic acid) that regulates growth, development and adaptation to environmental stimuli.

References

1. Molecular Genetic Insights into the Stress Responses and Cultivation Management of Zoysiagrass: Illuminating the Pathways for Turf Improvement. Agriculture (2024).
2. Analysis of a radiation-induced dwarf mutant of a warm-season turf grass reveals potential mechanisms involved in the dwarfing mutant. Scientific Reports (2020).
3. Physiological and transcriptomic analyses reveal the mechanisms underlying the salt tolerance of Zoysia japonica Steud. BMC Plant Biology (2020).
4. Comparative genomics reveals the molecular mechanism of salt adaptation for zoysiagrasses. BMC Plant Biology (2022).
5. Genetic Linkage Map Construction and QTL Mapping of Salt Tolerance Traits in Zoysiagrass (Zoysia japonica). PLOS ONE (2014).
6. Comparative Proteomic Analysis of the Stolon Cold Stress Response between the C4 Perennial Grass Species Zoysia japonica and Zoysia metrella. PLOS ONE (2013).