PRINCIPLES AND PROSPECTS OF APRICOT TRANSCRIPTOME ANALYSIS

First works on transcriptome analysis in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.) started in the early 2000s with the development of ESTs (expressed sequence tags) and the analysis of several candidate genes. Later, new strategies of massive analysis (high throughput) of transcriptomes have been applied, producing larger amounts of data in terms of expression of a large number of genes in a single experiment. One of these systems is massive transcriptome analysis using cDNA biochips (microarrays) to analyze thousands of genes by hybridization of mRNA labeled with fluorescence. However, the recent emergence of a massive sequencing methodology (“deep-sequencing”) of the transcriptome (RNA-Seq), based on lowering the costs of DNA sequencing, could be more suitable than the application of microarrays. Recent papers have described the tremendous power of this technology, both in terms of profiling coverage and quantitative accuracy in transcriptomic studies in plants. Although this powerful technology has only been available for a couple of years, it is already making substantial contributions towards understanding genome expression and regulation. Now this technology is being applied to plant species, including Prunus. In this work, we analyze the potential in using this RNA-Seq technology in apricot, focusing on results for the study of transcriptomes and the development of genomic tools. The strengths and limitations of RNA-Seq relative to microarray profiling are also discussed.