Data from: De novo transcriptome assembly of drought tolerant CAM plants, Agave deserti and Agave tequilana

Background: Agaves are succulent monocotyledonous plants native to xeric
environments of North America. Because of their adaptations to their
environment, including crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM, a
water-efficient form of photosynthesis), and existing technologies for
ethanol production, agaves have gained attention both as potential
lignocellulosic bioenergy feedstocks and models for exploring plant
responses to abiotic stress. However, the lack of comprehensive Agave
sequence datasets limits the scope of investigations into the
molecular-genetic basis of Agave traits. Results: Here, we present
comprehensive, high quality de novo transcriptome assemblies of two Agave
species, A. tequilana and A. deserti, built from short-read RNA-seq data.
Our analyses support completeness and accuracy of the de novo
transcriptome assemblies, with each species having a minimum of
approximately 35,000 protein-coding genes. Comparison of agave proteomes
to those of additional plant species identifies biological functions of
gene families displaying sequence divergence in agave species.
Additionally, a focus on the transcriptomics of the A. deserti juvenile
leaf confirms evolutionary conservation of monocotyledonous leaf
physiology and development along the proximal-distal axis. Conclusions:
Our work presents a comprehensive transcriptome resource for two Agave
species and provides insight into their biology and physiology. These
resources are a foundation for further investigation of agave biology and
their improvement for bioenergy development.