Gene expression atlas for the food security crop cassava.
Mark C Wilson, Andrew M Mutka, Aaron W Hummel, Jeffrey Berry, Raj Deepika Chauhan, Anupama Vijayaraghavan, Nigel J Taylor, Daniel F Voytas, Daniel H Chitwood, Rebecca S Bart
Author Information
Mark C Wilson: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA.
Andrew M Mutka: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA.
Aaron W Hummel: Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development and Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Jeffrey Berry: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA.
Raj Deepika Chauhan: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA.
Anupama Vijayaraghavan: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA.
Nigel J Taylor: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA.
Daniel F Voytas: Department of Genetics, Cell Biology & Development and Center for Genome Engineering, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, 55455, USA.
Daniel H Chitwood: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA.
Rebecca S Bart: Donald Danforth Plant Science Center, 975 North Warson Road, St Louis, MO, 63132, USA.
Cassava (Manihot esculenta) feeds c. 800 million people world-wide. Although this crop displays high productivity under drought and poor soil conditions, it is susceptible to disease, postharvest deterioration and the roots contain low nutritional content. Here, we provide molecular identities for 11 cassava tissue/organ types through RNA-sequencing and develop an open access, web-based interface for further interrogation of the data. Through this dataset, we consider the physiology of cassava. Specifically, we focus on identification of the transcriptional signatures that define the massive, underground storage roots used as a food source and the favored target tissue for transgene integration and genome editing, friable embryogenic callus (FEC). Further, we identify promoters able to drive strong expression in multiple tissue/organs. The information gained from this study is of value for both conventional and biotechnological improvement programs.
