De novo transcriptome analysis of mulberry (Morus L.) under drought stress using RNA-seq technology.

A large-scale RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) of mulberry (Morus L.) was carried out between two samples in regular and drought stress condition. In this research, de novo assembly was performed, and totally 54736 contigs were obtained from the reads, including the scaffolded regions. 1051 genes were identified that were significantly differently expressed between the two samples. As determined by Gene Ontology (GO) annotation and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway mapping, 10110 GO terms and 247 pathways were assigned and then analyzed. Thousands of SSR markers produced in this study will enable genetic linkage mapping construction and gene-based association studies. Seven unique genes showing different expression level in control and drought stress groups were subsequently analyzed and identified by real-time PCR. For lack of mulberry whole genome information, transcriptome and de novo analysis from the two samples will provide important and useful information for later research and help genetic breeding of mulberry.