Project description:Arundo donax L. is one of the most promising bioenergy crop due to its high biomass yield and low irrigation requirement. The resistance to biotic and abiotic stress causes the high invasiveness of this plant which can grow with very low management input (e.g., pesticides, fertilization, irrigation) even in marginal lands or in fields irrigated with waste or salty water. Despite its economic importance, the A. donax genomic resources are still limited. In particular, no information on its transcriptional response to salt stress is available.We report the leaf transcriptome sequencing, de novo assembly and annotation of a giant reed genotype under two levels of salt stress. The study will be useful for providing insight into the molecular mechanism underlying its extreme adaptability also offering a platform for directing future efforts towards the genetic improvement of this species.
Project description:Arundo donax L. is one of the most promising bioenergy crop due to its high biomass yield and low irrigation requirement. The resistance to biotic and abiotic stress causes the high invasiveness of this plant, which can grow with very low management input (e.g., pesticides, fertilization, irrigation) even in marginal lands or in fields irrigated with waste or salty water. We report the leaf transcriptome sequencing, de novo assembly and annotation of a giant reed G34 genotype under salt stress. This genotype shows a different transcriptomic response to salinity compared to other A. donax genotypes. This finding was unexpected considering that the genetic variability of this species is supposed to be low due to its vegetative reproductive process. This study aims to direct future efforts towards the A. donax genetic improvement.
