mRNA-seq analysis to enhance drought resilience by superabsorbent polymer seed coatings on maize

OBJECTIVES: A persistent and intensifying drought is severely hampering the growth of essential staple crops. While superabsorbent polymers (SAPs) offer a short-term solution to alleviate drought stress, the underlying molecular mechanisms in maize remain largely unexplored. This study addresses this critical research gap by pioneering mRNA sequencing to comprehensively investigate SAPs’ molecular and biological effects in maize, providing the first detailed transcriptomic understanding of their drought-mitigating roles and offering a valuable public dataset for plant breeding. RESULT: The current research presents 10 mRNA sequencing samples from maize seedlings across five treatment groups: two fossil-based SAPs (MERCK, SWT), one natural-based SAP (ABG), a drought-stressed control (CS), and a well-watered control (CN). Seedlings were treated for seven days under International Seed Testing Association (ISTA [1]) protocols. For mRNA-seq, indexed cDNA libraries were sequenced on the Illumina NovaSeq X Plus platform. The dataset includes two biological replicates per group, is publicly available in the European Nucleotide Archive (ENA) under accession ERP180397, and represents the first public mRNA-seq dataset to explore SAP-mediated drought resilience in maize.