Transcriptomics analysis of sesame seeds at different developmental stages from indigenous (Sesamum indicum), wild (Sesamum mulayanum) and six recombinant inbred lines

Sesame is an important oilseed crop with many pharmacological properties. We have made inter-specific hybridization between common cultivated high yielding Indian sesame (Sesamum indicum) and one of the wild sesames (S. mulayanum). The wild is low oil yielding yet unlike the cultivated sesame its oil contains very high lignan (Sesamin, Sesamolin) of anti-oxidant properties.Most of the traits of seed like oil, testa colour etc are QTL-controlled and we can expect the involvement of many genes. Our breeding population has a remarkable variation in those traits. We have performed transcriptomics analysis of the seeds at a particular developmental stage from two parents and six promising recombinant lines (RILs). From the RNA-Seq data, we have investigated variation in gene sequences and expression and correlated them with trait variation. This will foster the development of candidate genes based SNP marker and help in sesame breeding programme for a better genotype.