GRAS Gene Family Dynamics in Plant Stress Responses

The GRAS gene family encodes a group of plant-specific transcription factors that underpin a wide array of developmental and stress-responsive programmes. Members of this family share a conserved C-terminal GRAS domain involved in protein–protein interactions and a variable N-terminal region that confers regulatory specificity. These factors are subdivided into clades such as DELLA, SHR, PAT1 and SCL, each characterised by distinct structural motifs and phylogenetic lineage. In the context of stress biology, GRAS proteins integrate environmental cues—ranging from drought and low temperature to pathogen attack—into hormonal and transcriptional networks. They achieve this by modulating gibberellin and other phytohormone signalling pathways, influencing gene expression programmes that control growth inhibition, osmotic adjustment and defence gene activation. The expansion of the GRAS family in many plant genomes has been driven by tandem and segmental duplications, enabling subfunctionalization and neo-functionalisation that enhance adaptive plasticity. Recent advances in genome sequencing, expression profiling and protein-interaction assays have begun to unravel how individual GRAS members contribute to stress tolerance across diverse crop species, highlighting their potential as targets for molecular breeding and biotechnological interventions to improve resilience under changing climatic conditions.

Research from Nature Portfolio

Analysis of GRAS transcription factors in tea plant has yielded a comprehensive inventory of 52 CsGRAS genes, categorised into at least 13 subgroups based on conserved motifs and phylogenetic relationships. Functional divergence assessments indicate that subfamily-specific shifts in evolutionary rates have driven diversification of regulatory roles. Transcriptome and quantitative PCR analyses revealed that many CsGRAS genes display cultivar-specific basal expression and are differentially regulated by abiotic stresses and exogenous gibberellin. These findings underscore the multifaceted involvement of GRAS proteins in coordinating hormonal crosstalk and stress-induced transcriptional reprogramming in an economically important crop.

GRAS Gene Family Dynamics in Plant Stress Responses publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in gras gene family dynamics in plant stress responses across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

GRAS domain: Conserved C-terminal region in GRAS proteins involved in protein–protein interactions.

DELLA proteins: Subgroup of GRAS factors acting as repressors in gibberellin signalling and stress responses.

Tandem duplication: Gene duplication event in which adjacent copies of a gene arise on the same chromosome.

Abiotic stress: Non-living environmental factors (e.g. drought, cold) that adversely affect plant growth.

Biotic stress: Harmful effects on plants caused by living organisms such as pathogens or pests.

Subfunctionalization: Process by which duplicated genes divide the ancestral functions between them.

References

1. Network of GRAS transcription factors in plant development, fruit ripening and stress responses. Horticulture Research (2023).
2. Comprehensive Analysis of the GRAS Gene Family in Paulownia fortunei and the Response of DELLA Proteins to Paulownia Witches’ Broom. International Journal of Molecular Sciences (2024).
3. Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of the GRAS family under low-temperature stress in bananas. Frontiers in Plant Science (2023).
4. Structural and Functional Analysis of the GRAS Gene Family in Grapevine Indicates a Role of GRAS Proteins in the Control of Development and Stress Responses. Frontiers in Plant Science (2016).
5. Evolutionary Analyses of GRAS Transcription Factors in Angiosperms. Frontiers in Plant Science (2017).
6. Genome-wide identification and expression analysis of GRAS family transcription factors in tea plant (Camellia sinensis). Scientific Reports (2018).