Differential gene expression associated with a floral scent polymorphism in the evening primrose Oenothera harringtonii (Onagraceae). Oenothera harringtonii

Plant volatiles play an important role in mediating the complex fitness landscape of plant-pollinator and plant-herbivore interactions. Intraspecific polymorphisms in scent production are ubiquitous, but few studies have attempted to explore the gene expression underlying these differences. Oenothera harringtonii shows a polymorphism for (R)-(-)-linalool production, where some populations emit (R)-(-)-linalool while others do not; the genetic basis for this polymorphism is unknown. Here we used RNA-Seq to compare gene expression of six different Oenothera harringtonii tissues for plants with flowers emitting (R)-(-)-linalool and with flowers that do not.