Physiological changes and transcriptome responses of Asterothamnus centraliasiaticus leaves in response to drought stress

Asterothamnus centraliasiaticus is a key species within the desert ecosystems of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. To elucidate the physiological responses and underlying mo-lecular mechanisms of drought tolerance in A. centraliasiaticus, this study employed high-throughput RNA sequencing of leaf tissues to identify key pathways and drought resistance-related genes associated with adaptation to water deficit conditions.