Meta-analysis of public RNA-sequencing data of drought and salt stresses in different phenotypes ofOryza sativa

Abstract Environmental stresses, such as drought and salt, adversely affect plant growth and crop productivity. While many studies have focused on established components of stress signaling pathways, research on unknown elements remains limited. In this study, we collected RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) data from Oryza sativa registered in public databases and conducted a meta-analysis integrating multiple studies. We analyzed 105 paired RNA-Seq datasets from resistant or susceptible Oryza sativa cultivars under salt and drought conditions to identify novel stress-responsive genes with common expression changes across these datasets. A meta-analysis identified 10 genes specifically upregulated in resistant cultivars and 12 specifically upregulated in susceptible cultivars under both drought and salt conditions. Furthermore, by comparing previously identified stress-responsive genes in Arabidopsis thaliana , we explored genes potentially involved in stress response mechanisms that are conserved across plant species. The genes identified in this data-driven study may serve as targets for future research and genome editing.