Comparative transcriptome analysis in three sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) cultivars reveal genomic basis of differential seed quality

Sorghum is a globally important C4 crop that serves both as staple food and as bio-fuel, and showed high phenotypic variation in grain quality. In this study, we performed RNA-seq in grains of three local Sorghum cultivars Z6, Z27 and HC4, which have differential agronomic traits especially in grain color. Our analysis revealed more than 3000 differentially expressed genes among the three cultivars. The differentially expressed genes were enriched in carbohydrate, amino acid and flavonoid metabolic pathways, which may affect the appearance and nutrition value of grains. We also identified new genes and SNPs in the three cultivars. Our results revealed the transcriptome variations among different Sorghum cultivars that correlates with grain nutrition, and provided valuable information for sorghum breeding.