Transcript responses to drought in Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) germplasm varying in their tolerance to drought stress

•Kentucky bluegrass entries with varying drought responses exhibited shared-shared response and tolerance-related differentially epxressed transcripts.•Tolerance-related differentially expressed transcripts were specific gene isoforms found within broader shared-response genes such as HSP and LEA transcript isoforms.•RAB15 and HVA1 were induced markedly in drought-tolerant Kentucky bluegrass germplasm compared to drought-susceptible germplasm.