Description

Transcriptomics is a dynamically developing branch of biology highly important for geneticists and molecular ecologists alike. A large number of studies concerning differential gene expression, mapping of genes and quantitative trait loci (QTL), analysis of genotyping variations and so on has been conducted recently on several non‐model plants using next‐generation sequencing techniques. One example of non‐model legumes is garden pea (Pisum sativum L.), a valuable pulse crop capable of forming nitrogen‐fixing nodules and arbuscular mycorrhiza. Adaptation of standardised RNA‐seq approaches and data analysis developed for model plants to P. sativum should facilitate both studying of pea molecular genetics and breeding of new cultivars possessing agriculturally important traits. Another non‐model legume is black medick Medicago lupulina L. (a close relative of model legume plant barrel medick, Medicago truncatula Gaertn.), for which unique genetic lines almost obligatory dependent on arbuscular mycorrhiza symbiosis formation have been obtained. Such lines show promise as the perfect model for studying the genetic bases of arbuscular mycorrhiza development. In this chapter, we give a brief description of the current developments in the field of garden pea and black medick transcriptomics. Our aim is to provide a quick start guide to the non‐expert researchers for next‐generation sequencing (NGS)‐based transcriptome analysis.

Chapter