Transcriptome data of litchi aril and pericarp at different developmental stages

Anthocyanins are health-promoting compounds that play essential roles in protecting against diseases due to their strong antioxidant activities. Litchi (Litchi chinensis Sonn.) is an important economic fruit crop in tropical and subtropical regions, the mature pericarps are rich in anthocyanins, while the arils (flesh) as the edible portion lack anthocyanins. Up to now, the mechanism of anthocyanin differential accumulation between pericarp and aril of litchi has not been reported. In this project, transcriptome analysis in litchi arils and pericarps was performed to reveals the reason for the blockage of anthocyanin biosynthesis in litchi aril.