Bamboo is a typical fast-growing non-timber bioresource in tropical and subtropical forests, yet its vulnerability to drought is one of the facing difficulties in commercial cultivation. The mechanism strategy in response to drought is poorly understood in bamboo plants. This study identified Sucrose non-fermenting 1-related protein kinase 2 s (SnRK2s) in the moso bamboo (Phyllostachys edulis), a group of kinases essential for plant adaptation. The expansion of PeSnKR2 family was driven by gene duplication. 18 PeSnKR2s were categorized into 3 subgroups based on their evolutionary relationships. Cis-elements analysis and expression analysis revealed that PeSnRK2s might be involved in stress resistance through ABA-dependent or ABA-independent pathways. 9 ABA-dependent and 9 ABA-independent PeSnKR2s were defined according to their sensibility to ABA. Furthermore, we examined the function of two ABA-independent SnRK2s, PeSnRK2.2A and PeSnRK2.2B, which were relevantly conserved at protein, transcript, and genomic levels, while showing distinct expression patterns under drought conditions. A transgenic rice study revealed that overexpression of either PeSnRK2.2A or PeSnRK2.2B relieved the overwhelming ROS in leaves to improve rice resistance under drought. The ABA signaling pathway was activated in transgenic rice indicating that PeSnRK2.2A or PeSnRK2.2B regulated tolerance via a conserved ABA-regulated manner downstream. Therefore, we concluded that PeSnRK2.2B and PeSnRK2.2A have similar roles in regulating ABA signals, but respond differently to environmental signals in P. edulis. PeSnRK2.2s represent the potential targets for the improvement of bamboo agronomic traits in the future. This study improves the understanding of drought-resistance mechanisms in moso bamboo and benefits genetic improvement and maintenance of bamboo sustainability.

竹子是热带、亚热带森林中典型的速生非木材生物资源，但其易受干旱影响是商业化种植面临的困难之一。人们对竹子植物应对干旱的机制策略知之甚少。这项研究在毛竹 (Phyllostachys edulis) 中鉴定出了蔗糖非发酵 1 相关蛋白激酶 2 (SnRK2)，这是一组对植物适应至关重要的激酶。 PeSnKR2 家族的扩张是由基因复制驱动的。 18 个 PeSnKR2 根据其进化关系分为 3 个亚组。顺式元件分析和表达分析表明，PeSnRK2s可能通过ABA依赖性或ABA非依赖性途径参与抗逆性。根据对 ABA 的敏感性定义了 9 个 ABA 依赖型和 9 个 ABA 不依赖型 PeSnKR2。此外，我们检查了两个 ABA 独立的 SnRK2（PeSnRK2.2A 和 PeSnRK2.2B）的功能，它们在蛋白质、转录本和基因组水平上相对保守，同时在干旱条件下表现出不同的表达模式。一项转基因水稻研究表明，PeSnRK2.2A 或 PeSnRK2.2B 的过度表达可以缓解叶片中大量的 ROS，从而提高水稻对干旱的抵抗力。转基因水稻中 ABA 信号通路被激活，表明 PeSnRK2.2A 或 PeSnRK2.2B 通过下游保守的 ABA 调节方式调节耐受性。因此，我们得出结论，PeSnRK2.2B和PeSnRK2.2A在调节ABA信号方面具有相似的作用，但在珍珠菜中对环境信号的响应不同。 PeSnRK2.2代表了未来竹子农艺性状改良的潜在目标。 这项研究提高了对毛竹抗旱机制的认识，有利于遗传改良和竹子可持续性的维持。